Lucky Jade - Book 2: Earth
by FuzzyBeta
Summary: After betraying her nation to help save the world, Jade must travel with the Avatar to find her grandmother and begin her Earthbending training. There's just one hitch. She's got the Fire Nation, deadly assassins, a mad princess, an angry ex-boyfriend and some secret police on her tail. Will Jade pull through again, or will her luck finally run out? (Rated T) (Zuko/OC)
1. Prologue

_Dear Diary,_

 _It's been two weeks since I left the Northern Water Tribe with Avatar Aang, Katara and her brother Sokka. Two weeks since I left my brother behind to heal his wounds…and three weeks since my father passed away at the hands of my late uncle Zhao._

 _It's the crack of dawn but I haven't slept a wink all night. It's not the rocking of the boat that disturbs me, after all I'm used to living at sea. True, my cot is small and I'm crammed in with three other people and a sky bison in the galley, but it's not too bad once you get used to it._

 _No…it's what I see whenever I shut my eyes that disturbs me._

 _I keep seeing great fires and the faces of my parents standing in front of the small house I grew up in back home in the Fire Nation. The house is on fire…as the earth beneath it crumbles away bit by bit, slowly becoming a cliff that just drops off into darkness._

 _It's odd really. I've now betrayed my nation, and yet I still call my old village home. I also find myself missing my old crew. I miss the hustle and bustle of the dining hall and the kitchens, I miss Dango's lessons in cooking. I miss talking and joking with the soldiers in the command tower. I miss having tea and playing Pai-Sho with Lord Iroh…I even miss Prince Zuko._

 _Spirits how I miss the jerk. I know we had our differences diary but despite all of them I still care a great deal for him and he for me…I think…I don't know…_

 _Now that I've joined the avatar I don't think our next reunion (if we ever do have one) will ever be pleasant._

 _But more than the prince or my old crew, I miss my Father and my brother. My rocks in those turbulent waters. My brother, sturdy, reliable and yet remarkably goofy. I do hope his own journey to find his new Fire Bending Master goes well. Spirits knows how much I long to see him again._

 _And my father… strong, stoic, stubborn, honourable father. I might have rebelled and struggled against his hold to keep me close, but I still loved him._

 _Loved? It's strange thinking about him in past tense. Even now when I speak I have to correct myself. My head might have accepted his death, but it seems my heart still needs time to catch up. It won't be an easy task especially with fifteen years of love and care to remember him by._

 _I guess the only thing I can comfort myself with is that he and my mother are now reunited and happy in the spirit world._

 _Even if they have left my brother and me behind to pick up the pieces…_

 _Anyways, it's getting late. And if I keep going the noise of my pen will disturb the other's sleep. I've got to say it's weird having to share such close sleeping quarters with so many people._

 _I mean yeah sure I've shared a room with my brother and father occasionally back when we were on Prince Zuko's ship, but that's different. We're family, and even then, I had my own room with my own space to myself._

 _Now however things are going to be very different. Whether it's good different or bad different I don't know._

 _All I do know is that no matter what happens, I cannot turn back._

 _And I won't look back._

 _Goodnight Diary._

 _Yours,_

 _Jade._

* * *

 **HI GUYS! I'M BACK!**

 **Sorry for the long wait, but my life has been pretty hectic. I just got two new jobs two months ago and i've been positively swamped with work. So much so that it's left little time for writing. I have been uploading for one of my other fics (my Avengers/Dr Strange one) but that's only because i was stuck for ideas on the first prologue for this fic. But now hopefully i can break the writers block (FINALLY) and get down to some more writing because by god i've missed writing Lucky Jade.**

 **Also it took me a while to upload because i was busy trying to finish drawing the cover image. Yep, that's right, i drew it ALL FROM SCRATCH! It took me a while to settle on Jade's earthbending pose, but then i settled for a basic martial arts fighting stance (simpler and easier to draw because i'm lazy)**

 **As usual with the first chapter/prologue, here's the usual disclaimer: all this work is fiction, i only own my own OC's and plot (yada,yada,yada) You guys know the gist already.**

 **Anyways for veteran readers, welcome back. it's good to be writing for you guys again. And to those of you who are just reading the Lucky Jade series for the first time, i say welcome but i also strongly recommend reading _Lucky Jade- Book 1 Water_ as it is the setup for this fic and will be referenced a lot.**

 **And before i forget BIG WARNING! UPDATES WILL BE SLOW! I've got a lot on my plate at the moment and i'm probably not going to have a lot of time to write much before the new year, save a couple of chapters, so yeah...here's hoping i survive till 2018.**

 **Anyways enough of my yapping.**

 **If you enjoyed please review and keep up the reading!**

 **Cheers and seasons greetings to all,**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	2. 1 - The First Steps

**Chapter 1 : The First Steps...**

There was a gasp and Jade nearly dropped her brush as the hammock above her suddenly swayed ominously.

Quickly she stashed her journal and writing instruments underneath her, only just settling back down in her hammock just as Katara stirred in the cot.

"Aang?" she asked as she slid out of her cot and clambered up the ladder that led up on deck.

Jade stayed where she was, glad that her side of the cabin was shrouded in shadow, even as Sokka turned over from his hammock above Katara's to glance at her.

"Best let Katara handle this. She's pretty good at all the comforting stuff." He muttered to the ceiling.

"Yeah." Jade sighed as she reclined back into her pillow. "You don't sound tired"

"Couldn't sleep." Sokka grunted as he rolled over to face her. "Y'know you sure write a lot in that journal of yours"

"Sorry" Jade mumbled apologetically but Sokka just waved her off.

"No-no! it's cool. I get it. Some people like to say things with words and others like to write stuff down. And given everything that's happened I think we all need to vent. After all it's better then keeping it all bottled up"

"Hnn" Jade nodded as she chanced a glance at the water tribe boy's face. He was looking very forlornly up at the moon, which was shining brightly through the square entrance to the deck above.

"You miss her" she stated softly and Sokka nodded, blue eyes unusually sombre.

"Yeah…" he turned over to face her again. "Listen Jade…I know it's not been that long since your dad…I mean we know it must be hard for you to switch sides like that with him gone. But…thanks…"

"For what? I barely did anything" Jade scoffed bitterly "I blanked out about Zhao's plan to kill the moon spirit and I couldn't stop Zuko from taking Aang before it was too late-"

"Still you tried-"

"I tried and I _failed_ " Jade spat. "And now…You lost Yue, I lost my father…they're gone…and it's all my fault…"

There was a silence as she turned her back on the Water Tribe boy who stared at her with sympathetic eyes.

When he spoke next his voice was soft but reassuring.

"You're wrong you know. About barely doing anything."

"What?" Jade huffed, scrubbing at her eyes furiously as she glared over her shoulder at him.

"Well you did instruct a war council on how to hold off a Fire Nation Siege." He shrugged "Sure, the Fire Nation broke through in the end, but thanks to those plans we were able to save so many lives."

"I shouldn't have had to make those plans in the first place. Heck there shouldn't even be a need for the Water Tribe to defend itself!" Jade growled her hands gripping the thick furs that covered her.

"I've been going over all my father's old history lessons in my head and from what I remember there wasn't ANY reason for Fire Lord Sozin to start the war. None at all! No-one had threatened us or attacked us. We had a strong economy, lots of resources, we had good alliances with other Nations. We even had Avatar Roku protecting the peace-I-I just don't understand why we had to start this stupid war in the first place?"

"…Y'know…I think that's the first time I've ever heard someone from the Fire Nation ever say that" Sokka blinked in surprise.

"What? You think that just because I'm Fire Nation that I'll be kissing the Fire Lord's rear all the time?" Jade rolled her eyes.

"That seems to be what everyone else does" Sokka shrugged "What? It does. Every time we've come across Fire Nation soldiers they're always doing stuff _in the name of the Fire Lord._ And even in that colony in the Earth Kingdom they had pictures of him everywhere-"

" _My life I give to my country. With my hands I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our forefathers before him. With my mind I seek ways to better my country. And with my feet may our March of Civilization continue_. It's the Fire Nation Oath-" She explained in response to the bewildered look on Sokka's face "-It was drilled into my head since the day I started school, just like it has been drilled into everyone else's since the war began. You'd be hard put to find a child or an old man who didn't know it"

"So the brainwashing starts young huh?" Sokka muttered staring up at the ceiling and Jade snorted.

"You don't know the half of it. Dancing outside of theatre troupes and certain cultural events like the Fire Festival, is prohibited. Songs are carefully monitored and censored, as are speeches, literature and plays. Oh, and if you ever need a _hero_ don't worry Fire Lord Ozai will _swoop_ in and _save the day!_ " she mimed quotation marks as she pulled a face of disgust.

Sokka however just quirked a brow.

"And yet you dated his son?"

Jade glared at him menacingly.

"What you did didn't you?" Sokka gulped nervously, and was relieved when those bright green flames of eyes turned away to glower up at the bottom of the bunk above her.

"That damn jerk!" she kicked upwards at the empty cot viciously "How dare he question my-he knows I-yet he still-ARGH! How could he?!"

"I don't know…" Sokka muttered quietly turning back to the ceiling "but he's an idiot for taking you for granted"

Jade sighed, but didn't say anything. How could she. If she did open her mouth she knew she just would blurt out that she still cared for the prince. And she wasn't quite keen to admit that just yet…at least, not out loud.

 _Damn you Princess. Damn you!_

* * *

The night was dark on the great mainland.

The breeze that hit the grassy edge of a tall cliff was cold, the of winter still sharp in its bite. And yet upon that hill three people stood, all wearing large dark cloaks that obscured their faces and bodies from the bright light of the moon above.

"Master" Two of the figures bowed to the shadow that stood at the edge of the cliff, who turned to face them.

"What news do you have for me?" a deep voice cut through the already icy air like a knife.

The Two figures stood quickly to their feet. One was very tall and seemed thinner than its peer who was shorter than both it and their master.

It was this shorter figure that spoke in a husky but distinctly feminine huff:

"The Golem has failed in his mission to kill the daughter of the Lucky Jade. Her father, Ruishi Shi killed him, before meeting his own demise barely a day later."

"I see…" Their master held a gloved hand to its hidden chin as they turned to the taller figure "And you? What news do you have for me?"

"My informant from the Northern Tribe says the girl is now travelling with the Avatar and his little friends" the tall shadow spoke in a slithery hiss. "If my information is correct they will be arriving at the continent tomorrow at General Fong's Base"

"That buffoon" the Master snorted "the one who keeps raving about the Avatar's return?"

"Yes" the husky voiced woman nodded "Rumour has it he has been pushing to meet the Avatar for some time. You can only imagine how excited he would be if he were to meet the new Lucky Jade-"

"Indeed master" the tall man hissed "If that ruffian Earth Bender gets his hands on the girl. Who knows what he might try and do."

"I do" Their master replied shortly "He would keep her under lock and key for his own use. Her position in her mother's house would be most advantageous for his cause, and that is something we cannot allow to happen, if we are to fulfil our duty and kill her. The last thing that brat needs is more protection."

"So what? do we try to take her from under his nose? Slip a poison-" the husky woman folded her cloak about herself as a chilly breeze blew past.

"No" their master straightened up proudly "for now the two of you will stand back and observe. General Fong might try his luck, but if Kira's demise is anything to go by the girl is not a complete imbecile. She's a rebellious little brat, I daresay she'll feel inclined to relinquish her new-found freedom any time soon, especially to another insane military man. Also you forget, the Avatar and his friends are with her. I don't think they'll take too kindly to their new friend being attacked"

"No, of course not master" the slithering tall man bowed respectfully "We shall observe and report as you ask."

"Yes…just as you ask" the husky voiced woman nodded stiffly.

The master smiled.

"Of course, you will. Because we will probably only have one good chance to kill this child and we cannot stuff this up. You are the Snake and the Horse. And who am I?"

"You are our master…the Great Dragon" the two figures bent on one knee before him.

"That's right I am the Great Dragon" their master, the Dragon snarled down at them, a small flame igniting in his outstretched palm "And should either of you fail…you shall burn"

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today's the day I set off for the Earth Kingdom._

 _I have to admit, I'm really excited about all of it. This'll be the first time I've actually been on Earth Kingdom territory without having to hide my Earth bending. Usually when I was a part of Zuko's crew I had to keep low or wait on the ship while everyone else searched on land._

 _But now here I am. An Earth bender finally about to be back on solid earth amongst others of my own kind._

 _Oh sorry diary-That's Sokka telling me to hurry up. I guess Appa's nearly ready to go._

 _Wish me luck,_

 _Yours,_

 _Jade._

* * *

The morning was bright and clear as the Avatar and his three friends now prepared Appa for take off.

"Right, that should do it" Jade called out to Sokka as she finished tying down the last of their provisions to the Sky Bison's saddle.

"Did you make sure they're double tied?" Sokka grunted as he finished securing the reins to Appa's horns.

"Yep. They aren't moving an inch" Jade preened herself off proudly as she tried wiggling the satchels. However like she said, they barely moved even a millimetre.

 _I really should thank Lieutenant Ji for teaching me those sailors knots_

Jade smirked to herself, forcing down the horrible lurch in her stomach as she hopped off the saddle and down the bison's shoulder.

"Thanks boy" she muttered patting the mass of fur, which grunted as it nudged its head at her affectionately. She had barely known the animal for a couple of weeks but already it seemed he liked her. Jade had to admit that once one got over the initial shock, it was difficult not to like Appa. For all his bulk, he really was a cuddly beast.

"All set to go?" Katara called out as she and Aang both rushed out from below deck, followed by their waterbending master, Paku and several of his other pupils.

The old man looked about as deadpan as ever as his gaze wandered over the sky bison and its charges. When his eyes fell on Jade he gave a small nod of acknowledgement that Jade returned as she bowed low.

"Thank you so much for your help Master Paku."

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Jade." Paku bowed back respectfully, smirking as he looked her over. "The Earth Kingdom suits you"

"What? Oh right, thanks" Jade smiled sheepishly as she looked over her clothes.

They'd only just been brought to her the day before. The water tribe ship had met one of their friendly Earth Kingdom trade ships. She was wearing a green short sleeveless cheongsam with slim fitting dark black pants and open toed sandals, with a dark green sash over her waist. Her long brown hair was tied back in a long high ponytail that swished gently in the sea breeze.

When she'd first looked at her reflection in the ocean, she could barely recognize herself. No one in their right mind would ever think she'd been born and bred in the Fire Nation.

She was somewhat saddened by the thought of never probably being able to wear the reds and pinks of her home nation with pride.

But she quickly squashed down her sadness as she waited for Paku to finish addressing the others.

Katara was the first one he addressed as he fished into a seal-hide satchel. When he pulled his hand out of the bag, there was a tiny conical flask with a cresent moon on the lid in it.

"Katara, I want you to have this. This amulet contains water from the Spirit Oasis. The water has unique properties. Don't lose it."

"Thank you, Master Paku" Katara beamed brightly and hugged her master. He returned the hug briefly, bristling slightly as he turned to Aang, a large wooden box held tight in his hands.

Aang opened the box eagerly, revealing a bunch of scrolls laid neatly inside.

"Aang, these scrolls will help you master waterbending. But remember, they're no substitute for a real master" Paku gave a knowing glance up at Katara, who had seated herself up on Appa's saddled back.

She preened herself with pride, which quickly turned into faint amusment as her brother Sokka stepped forwards excitedly as his name was called out, only for Paku to simply pat him on the shoulder with a soft grunt:

"Take care son."

"Ouch" Jade winced sympathetically as Sokka deflated on the spot.

Paku, not noticing (or more likely ignoring) the younger man's dismay, looked up at Aang who had air-bended his way up to Appa's reins.

"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the east of here." The old Water bending master said pointing east as he did so "General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. There, you will be safe to begin your earthbending training with King Bumi and Lady Luli."

"Will do. And thanks again Paku" Jade waved as with a Yip-Yip from Aang, Appa began to ascend.

"Say hi to Gran-Gran for me!" Katara called as they began floating higher than the ship's high mast, before soaring east towards the morning sun…and the Earth Kingdom shores.

 _Finally!_

Jade thought, a wide grin spreading over her face as she watched the boat getting smaller and smaller in the distant blue ocean.

 _Finally we're on our way. Grandma Luli here I come!_

* * *

It was generally agreed by many that the waterfall resort that sat on stilts above the Su-Oku River was one of the most beautiful places of the Earth Kingdom continent.

It was so luxurious and pristine that only those of the highest social caste and economic standing could ever afford to relax in such a place.

People like Lord Iroh of the Fire Nation for instance.

"Ahh…" the old ex-war general sighed contently, as two strong male masseuses massaged his back and calves.

"This is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water, and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?"

The two masseuses both chuckled along with him, one of them quickly moving to massage the soles of his broad feet.

"Ah, that's the ticket" Iroh grunted happily as, with a careful but firm press, a hard knot in his foot was suddenly released.

He turned his head around, brown eyes searching swiftly until they found what he was searching for.

"Zuko?"

A few meters away, sitting hunched in the wooden archway of the courtyard was a young man wearing a loose light red robe with matching pants, with a large straw hat to cover his head, which was bent down to hide his face as he looked down into his hands.

In them he cradled a bright green stone strapped onto a thin black cord that he had looped around his neck. The young man stared down at the stone, and the Kanji "luck" which was engraved on one side, tracing the strokes of the character with a despondent, hopeless expression.

"I see…" the older lord sighed as he left the massage table and strode over towards him "It's the anniversary today, isn't it."

"Three years ago today, I was banished" Prince Zuko murmured, eyes still staring down at the green pendant "I lost it all. I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honour, my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless, and I want…I want…"

But he trailed off, face tensing uncomfortably as he looked down at the pendant. It winked up at him in the high noon sun, just like a pair of happy, sparkling jade green eyes that flashed over his mind.

 _"Don't get too cocky princess"_

He barely listened to his uncle's exclamation as he quickly stashed the pendant under the collar of his robes.

"I'm sure he does! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?"

But already Zuko was on his feet, scowling darkly as he stalked off, leaving his uncle to roll his eyes at his own mistake.

"Ugh! That came out wrong didn't it?"

* * *

 _Ahh…this is nice…_

Jade sighed contentedly as she leaned her head on the edge of Appa's saddle.

It was late afternoon now, and they'd long since left the ocean behind them as they flew over the mid western coast of the Earth Kingdom continent. Here the terrain was lush and green but also exceptionally rocky and mountainous, in short it was an Earth Bender's dream come true.

Or more accurately, it was Jade's dream come true, for now that she was no longer Fire Nation, she didn't have to hide her Earthbending ever again.

The thought was liberating, and though she was thoroughly enjoying the experience of flying on Appa's back, she couldn't wait for her feet to hit solid earth again.

"You okay?" Katara asked as she leaned in the spot next to her, relaxing as the wind flew through her long braid.

"Yeah," Jade sighed as she gazed down onto a large dark green forest below. "It's just…I spent so many years of my life hiding my abilities whenever I went on land. And now I'm here and I'm free to do whatever I want-"

"And that's bad because?" Katara frowned.

Jade shrugged.

"It's not bad. I guess I'm just not used to it yet"

Katara opened her mouth to speak, her eyes wells of sympathy only to wince as her brother suddenly cried out at the top of his lungs.

"Look! There it is!" Sokka pointed and quickly the two girls rushed over to his side of the saddle.

"Whoa!" Jade breathed as she took in the spectacle before her.

Nestled between the mountain range was a circular white wall with four pillars pointing in the four directions, all encasing what appeared to be a small city. Three walls sprouted from the north, south and eastern pillars, while a lower bridge connected the western pillar to the rocky main road in front of it.

In the centre of the massive structure, was a large white and yellow tiled tower, the top most level of which had a large balcony, to which Aang steered Appa onto.

With a soft thump the sky bison landed smoothly and gently onto the tiled stone, right in front of an entire troupe of Earth Kingdom Soldiers, led by a tall burly proud man, with a long black beard and head of hair, wearing a green robe over his more illustrious green armour.

 _This must be General Fong- Ouch my back!_

Jade winced as she and the rest of her companions dismounted Appa, all of them stretching their bodies out as the General beamed widely with a low bow.

"Welcome Avatar Aang!" he boomed in a loud voice, throwing his arms open in welcome as they turned to face him. "I am General Fong. And Welcome to all of you _great heroes!_ Appa! Momo! Brave Sokka! Mighty Katara! And of course, the new Lucky Jade herself, your beauty truly is legendary"

"Mighty Katara? I like that" Katara smirked, along with her brother and Aang, none of them noticing the way General Fong's eyes glinted as they beheld Jade's slender form.

She stiffened uncomfortably. She'd just broken up with Prince Zuko. The last thing she wanted was to be oogled like a piece of meat.

Then the moment was gone as something blasted high in the sky.

Jade wheeled around expecting an attack, and balls of fire to come raining down from black clouds of smog, only to see bright colourful balls of light exploding in the air above their heads.

"Not bad. Not bad" Sokka nodded impressed.

 _Fireworks. Because that's so inconspicuous_

Jade rolled her eyes to herself, but kept her mouth shut as she turned back to bow politely to General Fong, keeping her face schooled in a cool but calm expression.

"Thank you for the warm welcome General."

"Please Lady Jade, the honour is all mine." General Fong's small smirk widened upon her, "Now why don't we head inside. The sun is high, and doubtless you and your companions need shade and refreshments."

They were quick to rush inside, Sokka being the fastest as he was keenest on eating first.

Jade however wasn't feeling so happy or content.

She just wasn't sure why, but she felt certain that something was going to go wrong during their stay here.

"Hey you okay? You seem tense" Aang whispered in her ear worriedly.

"I'm fine. Just still stiff from the flight" Jade muttered quietly, wriggling her shoulders to prove her point.

 _Maybe I'm worrying too much about this…_

She exhaled deeply as they were led into a large room at the end of which was a small raised dais with a large table and chairs set with two large maps on either side. It was at this table that General Fong sat himself down at while she, Aang, Katara and Sokka were all seated on a small low sitting platform a few meters away on the ground.

As she sat down, Jade was suddenly struck by how small they all were in comparison to all the other Earth-kingdom soldiers.

 _I'm probably just not used to being around so many Earth-benders. Yeah. That's it. I'm just not used to all this that's all._

Yet despite all she tried telling herself, her body could not help but tense even more, as General Fong addressed them, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Avatar Aang, we were all amazed at the stories of how you singlehandedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole. I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It's an awesome responsibility."

"I try not to think about it too much" Aang smiled modestly much to the General's amusement as he paused.

Then:

"Avatar, you're ready to face the Firelord now"

"WHAT?! N-no I'm not!" Aang spluttered in absolute shock.

"Aang still needs to master all four elements" Katara quickly put a placating hand on his shoulder.

"Why?" General Fong frowned "Why? With the kind of power he possesses, power enough to destroy hundreds of battle ships in a matter of minutes, he could defeat the Fire Lord now!"

"But sir, the thing is, Aang can only do those things when he's in the Avatar State." Sokka explained, Aang nodding vigorously beside him.

"See, it's this special state where-"

"I'm well aware!" General Fong snapped sharply "Your eyes and tattoos glow and you're able to summon unbelievable power. Without you, we'd be slaughtered before we even reach their shores-"

Jade's stomach churned as she watched the General point up at the world map beside him, tracing a line from the Earth Kingdom base all the way westward to the Fire Nation Capital city.

"-But with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon, we could cut a swath right through to the heart of the Fire Nation and-"

"Aang is not a weapon." Jade's voice cut through the air, so sharply that Katara almost winced beside her "nor are his powers. The Avatar is a champion of balance and peace. Not an instrument of war."

"Besides I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar State, much less what to do once I'm there" Aang added, grateful for the back-up.

"Then it's decided then" The General stated, almost ignoring the pleading tone in the young boy's words "I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar State and then you'll face your destiny"

"You will do no such thing!" Jade snapped as she and the others stood angrily to their feet.

"She's right. Nothing's decided. We already have a plan. Aang's pursuing his destiny HIS way"

General Fong scowled, his gaze darkening as he met Jade's fierce glare. It was almost as if he were disappointed in her.

But when she didn't budge he sighed heavily, almost as if he were an exasperated parent dealing with a tantrum throwing child.

"Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the War goes on. May I show you something?"

He gestured to one of the windows as he stepped towards it.

With a quick nervous glance at one another, Aang, Katara, Sokka and Jade all anxiously walked over to the window. There they could see the courtyard beneath, filled with many earthbenders.

Most of them were moving slowly, wearily, with many an injury, while some were being carried in and out of a large building on stretchers.

"That's the infirmary. And those soldiers are the lucky ones" General Fong explained gravely as he carefully watched Aang's guilty face. "They came back. Every day, the Fire Nation takes lives. People are _dying_ , Aang! You could end it _now_. Think about it"

Despite her anger at General Fong, Jade felt her heart clench at the sight of all the wounded soldiers.

She thought back to her family. To her father, his dead body now who knows where, buried shamefully with no honours. Then there was her brother, still alive but forever marked by the fire of their nation with shame, just for doing what he thought was right.

Just like these soldiers.

All of them hurt by her nation. And all for what? Power? Land?

She glanced at the back of Aang's sorrowful tattooed head.

From what she had briefly seen of his powers, the Avatar State itself was a powerful force to be reckoned with. Fong was right, it would be able to wipe out the Firelord in a split second…but what if it did more harm than good?

What if Aang couldn't control it?

Or worse what if it destroyed him?

 _No!_

She shook her head, fists clenched by her sides as she caught sight of General Fong's disconcerting smirk down at the solemn boy beside him.

 _I won't let that happen._

* * *

Prince Zuko glared up at the ceiling above. He and his uncle were in their luxurious bungalow at the edge of the Su-Oku River, which also happened to have a fantastic view of the large bay that led out to the sea below the great waterfall.

But none of that mattered to the prince right now.

He could not sleep. Try as hard as he might, he just could not bring himself to rest.

The source of his ire was all too obvious as he held his hand above his line of vision. There tucked inside his half clenched fist, was a jade green stone.

 _That damn little-ARGH!_

He had half a mind to go outside and throw it straight into the river. But no matter how hard he tried to throw it his hand just would not co-operate.

There was a soft creak as the door to the bungalow was opened and his uncle strode through, wearing a robe with a towel slung over his shoulders.

"Aahh!" the old lord sighed in relief as he stretched his arms over his head "That sauna really was so refreshing. All my muscles are so relaxed-Zuko?"

Zuko quickly tried tucking the jade pendant away in his pocket but it was too late. The green stone glinted even as the setting sun peeked in through the window.

Lord Iroh's face softened sadly.

"It's alright if you miss her"

"I don't! Good riddance to that pest." Zuko snapped promptly turning his back on his uncle. He shut his eyes tight as a large gentle hand settled on his shoulder.

"I'm sure she misses you too" Iroh said gently.

Oh how Zuko wished his words were true. He wished with all his heart that they would be true.

But…

"If she cares so much then why is _she_ with the _Avatar_?" he growled into his pillow.

 _And why isn't she here?!_

He had to literally bite down on his lip to stop himself from yelling that last though out. However, it seemed that Iroh had guessed what was on his mind because he sighed heavily as he sat down on the side of his bed.

"Zuko…I wish I could've brought her along with us, but she would've died out there on the seas with her injuries. We barely made it out alive ourselves. Besides there isn't much left for her now in the Fire Nation, what with her father gone. Even your father wouldn't hesitate to lock her up and throw away the key now that she no longer has the Shi name protecting her."

"Not if I told him the truth-" Zuko began but Iroh cut across him firmly.

"The truth? You mean the truth that she is the daughter of the Lucky Jade? One of the Fire Nation's most wanted enemi-"

"Jade _isn't_ her mother!" Zuko sat up angrily glaring at his sombre uncle. "And she's not a traitor! She was trying to stop Zhao from destroying us all-"

"I know Zuko. But I'm afraid other people won't see it like that." Iroh looked down at the floor gloomily. "I know it's difficult, but if Jade were to travel with us she'd always be hiding. She'd always be afraid, watching over her shoulder even amongst others of her own kind. At least with the Avatar she'd have the freedom she needs to be herself and to find her own happiness"

Zuko's mouth opened and shut as he tried to find words to say.

But what was the point?

His uncle was right. Zuko hated to admit it, but he was right.

Now that her father was dead Jade would never be able to return to the Fire Nation. The circumstances of her very existence alone were enough to convict her in the eyes of the Fire Nation.

 _Unless I find the Avatar first and restore my birthright._

Zuko thought bitterly, turning away from his uncle again.

 _If I could do that then maybe I could vouch for her and she'd be able to come home a hero._

 _But then what if she doesn't want to return home?_

Another small niggling voice whispered nastily in the back of his mind.

 _What if she finds a home in the Earth Kingdom? Worse…what if she's happier there than she ever was with you?_

"Argh! Just leave me alone!" Zuko snapped both at the voice in his head and at his uncle who reached forwards just to pat his shoulder again.

Lord Iroh sighed heavily again.

It would appear this wound would take a lot longer to heal after all.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It's the end of day one here on Earth Kingdom soil and I have to say it's not been a good day after all._

 _I mean yeah sure it's still cool that I don't have to be afraid of hiding my abilities anymore. But the general here at this base…let's just say I'm afraid of what he's got planned for Aang._

 _He wants him to unlock this thing called the Avatar State. Katara told me more about it when we were setting up in our guest rooms here at the fortress. It's this state where Aang can access all the might and power from all his past lives. It was what allowed him to connect with the ocean spirit back at the North Pole._

 _It's quite an amazing feat, however from what Katara's told me it's also a scary one. You see diary, apparently the only time's Aang's been able to get into such a state was when he was in extreme pain or peril, two states of being I don't want to see him in._

 _And yet that General Fong has guilt tripped him into going ahead and finding out a way to trigger it._

 _Truth be told, I'm not too surprised at this. I've been around enough soldiers in my life to know that when it comes to promoting war propaganda, guilt can be a very powerful tool._

 _That doesn't mean I agree with General Fong's underhanded methods._

 _I understand that he's anxious to win the war soon. It's been going on a hundred years too long, but still, there's a right way to do things and a wrong way._

 _And forcing a twelve-year-old boy into the Avatar State before he has even mastered barely two of the elements is the WRONG way. Aang may be the most powerful being on the earth right now but he's still just a young boy. He's still got a lot of his own growing up to do, something which I've seen most adults practically ignore when addressing him. Whenever I look at him I still see that cheerful boy munching on a custard tart i made down in the kitchens of my old ship._

 _Don't get me wrong Diary, I still believe he can do all those amazing things as the Avatar. But it's not his powers that makes him great. It's the fact that no matter what suffering and hardships he's already seen, he's still got his kindness and innocence, and I just know that if we try to force him into obtaining all that power right now in one stroke, we might just lose him._

 _And no amount of power is worth that much._

 _Which is why I've decided to take matters into my own hands._

* * *

 _Rat-tat-tat!_

"Come in" a masculine voice snapped waspishly.

Jade gulped as she reached for the doorhandle. She wasn't sure why she'd decided to do this in the middle of the night. She should've waited until first thing in the morning like a normal person.

Yet something in her gut told her it was the right thing to do.

 _Oh come on Jade, just suck it up and do it already!_

She growled at herself as with a determined huff, she opened the door.

She found herself in what appeared to be at the entrance to a large office of sorts. There in front of her was large desk littered with many papers and scrolls, behind which General Fong sat, illuminated by a couple of candles before him, his top knot askew and his eyes weary as he blinked up in surprise at her visit.

"Ah if it isn't the lovely Lucky Jade herself," he smiled widely all tiredness forgotten as he stood to his feet "Please take a seat."

"Thank you, sir but I'd rather stand. I don't want to take up much of your time as I'm sure you're very busy." Jade smiled politely, green eyes cold as she stood to a soldiers parade rest, just like her father had taught her all those years ago.

General Fong looked slightly taken aback by her reserve, but recovered instantly as he mimicked her formal stance and asked:

"Then to what do I owe the honour of this very _late_ visit my Lady?"

"Aang said he agreed to your request about entering the Avatar State" Despite all her attempts to keep calm, the fire in her green eyes blazed hotly, much to the General's faint amusement.

"Ah yes. The Avatar," he smirked as he stepped around his desk "such a kind thoughtful boy isn't he? Very determined to do the right thing. It's a rare trait to find in anyone in this war today"

"Maybe you're looking in the wrong places" Jade clipped, keeping her eyes trained on his own as he stood in front of her.

"Perhaps, but speaking of the wrong places, I have a couple of questions for you lady Jade."

"Such as?"

"Is it true you are part Fire Nation? That your father was Ruishi Shi, son of the Mountain Dragon, Ryuutaro Shi the slaughterer of the Shan mountains"

Jade stiffened. She had not expected this to come up. It wasn't as if she hid her Fire Nation roots, but still…

Her fists clenched as she thought back to her father and brother. Her loving, caring, if slightly overprotective father and brother.

How she missed them…

"Yes I am" she gulped down the lump in her throat as she forced herself to keep looking directly into General Fong's eyes. "What about it?"

"You admit it?" General Fong's eyebrows rose "I'm surprised. I would've thought most people in your situation would be ashamed to be associated with such monsters"

"My father was not a monster!" Jade snapped, so fiercely that a crack appeared in the stone floor beneath her feet.

"Oh really?" General Fong stiffened warily, fists twitching by his sides.

"Yes really" Jade glared fiercely "My Grandfather might be a monster, but my father wasn't. He was a good man. He hated this war just as much as the rest of us and he died trying to stop it and do the right thing. And he always taught me to do the right thing too"

"Is that so?" General Fong murmured scathingly. "The situation is worse than I thought. When I first heard the Lucky Jade had married and started a family with a Fire Bender I couldn't believe my ears. To think that one of the Earth Kingdom's most celebrated and beloved heroes would betray us and leave us for the enemy-"

"My mother wasn't a traitor." Jade cut across him firmly, eyes now burning despite herself "She fell in love with my father. And my father didn't want to fight in the war. He didn't want to fight anyone."

"Is that what he told you? Did he also tell you about the assaults he led against the many innocent men, women and children of the Earth Kingdom? Of how he and his men slaughtered many of our soldiers, other young Earth Benders like yourself, in battle?"

"OH yeah? And how many Fire Nation soldiers have Earth Benders such as yourselves killed in the line of duty?" Jade blurted out before she could stop herself.

General Fong's nostrils flared.

"How-how dare you-You would sympathise with _them_? Whose side are you even on? They're the enemy! They're the reason this whole war began in the first place! They killed your mother, they've killed so many innocents, and you'd dare accuse us-"

"I'm not accusing anyone of anything!" Jade bellowed over the top of his shouts "I'm just saying. In a war, no side is INNOCENT! And good and evil are not mutually exclusive to one Nation, OR _one person_."

General Fong stared at her in shock, as she stepped forward into his personal bubble.

The fire in her eyes was now blazing furiously, and though she was shorter than him she seemed to tower over him in her fury as she straightened herself up to her fullest height.

"And as for sides" she snarled "I'm not on any side. I'm with the Avatar, and I'll do whatever it takes to help him stop this war the _right_ way!"

"And how are you going to do that?" General Fong's sneer returned full force as he glared down at her. "Avatar Aang has already accepted _my_ help in controlling the Avatar State"

"I know." Jade spat. "And I respect his choice. But what I don't respect is a man like you wanting to use that young boy's power for your own selfish means."

"I'm trying to end this war-"

"-And then get all the fame and glory from it! Yeah I noticed" Jade's eyes narrowed "But unluckily for you General. I won't let that happen. Aang's a good person, and I will not let a power-hungry despot like you destroy him. So, here's what's going to happen. You're going to help Aang try to control the Avatar State. But if you try to hurt him, or his friends in any way, you're gonna answer to me!"

"Is that a threat?" the General barked hands raising slightly by his sides and Jade could see a large clay pot in the corner of the room begin to rise menacingly.

"No. It's a promise" Jade growled.

With a hard thud, she slammed her heel down on the earth so hard that a giant crack suddenly split through the floor and up along the sides of one of the walls, the ground shuddering slightly as she did so.

Shaken a little by the sudden movement, the General's concentration on the clay pot lifted and it smashed to the ground, shattering ceramic pieces everywhere.

But Jade did not even care to watch the spectacle, as she promptly turned on her heel and stormed out the door, which slammed shut behind her.

* * *

The dark shadowy figure in the corner of the corridor, winced as they felt the floor shake beneath their feet and heard a loud cracking sound from the open door just ahead.

Such raw power. It had been a while since it'd felt anything of that magnitude.

True the Earth Bending General was a strong earth bender. But this wasn't his handiwork.

No.

This was the work of someone untrained…someone whose earth bending was clumsy and crude.

 _It would seem as our master was right._

The figure's eyes narrowed.

 _She is growing stronger…but she's not yet honed her skills…_

But she would when she found her grandmother…

 _Just you wait and watch master._

The figure thought as they slid back into the shadows, away from the girl as she stormed out of the room.

 _I will not fail you like the Golem. This time the Lucky Jade will be dead for sure._

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I know I just talked to you barely an hour ago but I really need to vent._

 _I just threatened General Fong._

 _Yeah, you heard me right. I just threatened an experienced Earth Kingdom General._

 _I don't know whether I'm just insane, or if Zuko's stupidity has rubbed off on me more than I thought. I barely know how to bend my own element and here I am practically threatening a soldier who has probably been Earth Bending longer than I've been alive._

 _I mean yeah sure, I had come in there to warn him about messing with Aang and his powers, but then Fong had to go ahead and insult my father and…_

 _And…_

 _And…_

 _Well let's just say if Lord Iroh were here he'd most likely be pinching his nose and sighing in exasperation at me._

 _That being said, General Fong had it coming. I mean, how dare he call my father a monster. I mean I understand my Grandfather Ryuutaro being one, but my father…_

 _My father was a good man. And yeah sure he had to fight in the war…but still…_

Jade's teeth clenched as her hand paused over the paper. Yes…she had heard about all her father's past battles in the Earth Kingdom. Many of them she'd heard aboard Zhao's ship just before the invasion.

But never had she ever thought about it so seriously. In her head stopping Zhao had been the most important thing at the time.

She never once stopped to think about all the people her father might have fought and possibly killed…

She shook her head out, scrubbing furiously at her burning eyes.

 _He's my father...just as mom was my mom._

 _They weren't traitors or monsters to me or my brother, they were just our parents._

 _I mean come on! Back when i was in the Fire Nation people would look at me with disgust because of my mother's roots. I'd have thought that now i'm here in the Earth Kingdom I wouldn't be judged so harshly but no! People are now judging me because of **my father's** past deeds...I guess I was naive to think that things would be different huh?_

She sighed heavily, rubbing her now throbbing temples.

 _It's getting late diary, I should get to sleep. If Aang really is going to try to get into the Avatar State tomorrow I've got to be well rested and prepared._

 _Goodnight._

But even as she laid her head down to rest, she couldn't help but think about a pair of golden amber eyes staring back at her. Now that she thought about it, _he'd_ never judged her for her parentage did he?

 _Wherever you are Zuko...i hope you're okay..._

* * *

 **And there you have it ladies and gents! Chapter 1 of Book 2 is finally up.**

 **So Jade is finally in the Earth Kingdom. I have to say it's been pretty interesting writing about her with the rest of the Gaang. I figured she'd be protective of Aang because she sees him like a little brother, and the two of them have had a positive relationship...so far. ;). I think Sokka and Katara would be still wary of her (Because she was Fire Nation and was with Zuko), but are now learning to trust her after the events at the North Pole.**

 **I also figured that since she's the daughter of a forbidden romance she would still face prejudice in both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation (because hey, life's not always fair). It also puts her in a position where she can see the good and bad in both sides of the war.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed and hopefully i'll be able to write more soon, though it looks like i'll be pretty busy in the upcoming weeks so updates will most likely be slow (you have been warned)  
**

 **Keep reading and reviewing for more and i look forward to seeing you all next time, whenever that may be.**

 **Cheers**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	3. 2 - The Avatar State

**Chapter 2: The Avatar State**

The Fire Nation ship was grand and large, it's metal form gleaming in the early morning light of dawn. The painted steps to the command tower seemed to burn with the suns heat, while the similarly decorated bow shone like a scorching blade as it pierced through the water at top speed.

Yet there was only one person on deck that was present to witness the spectacular the view.

She was young, with dark black-brown locks, neatly tied back into a tight topknot. Her alabaster skin was luminescent in the dawn light much like the dark armour she wore over her red tunic.

Her sharp amber eyes were cold as she looked out over the calm ocean glimmering in the sunlight

 _Still moving too slow?_

She scoffed at the magnificent view with a scowl as she looked back towards the command tower steps where a couple of guards now stood to attention.

"You two!" she barked, her voice as sharp as the talon like nail that she used to point at the men before her. "Tell the captain to stop dawdling and increase our speed. I will not tolerate such laziness on board my ship"

"Of course, princess Azula."

"Right away your highness" the men bowed quickly, scurrying away like mice would from a hungry cat.

"Pathetic" the Princess Azula sneered as she watched their backs disappear into the command tower. Once they were gone she turned back to the bow of her ship, shifting her feet into a fighting stance.

 _Now to practice._

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today marks day two of being in the Earth Kingdom and already I have goosebumps._

 _Why?_

 _Because it's day one of General Fong's attempts to awaken the Avatar State in Aang._

 _Fong. That bastard._

 _First of all, how dare he call my father a monster! And secondly HOW DARE HE DO THAT STRAIGHT UP AFTER MY FATHER HAS-_

Jade shook her head out sucking in a deep calming breath.

 _Sorry diary…I guess I'm still pissed off from our argument last night._

 _Anyways I'm here now and someone's got to keep these kids' noses out of trouble and it might as well be me (seeing as I am the oldest here now)._

 _So, the Avatar State. As I've told you before diary, I'm not altogether comfortable with Fong's obsession with Aang's powers. The Avatar is one of the most powerful beings in the world. Messing with his or her powers would be like messing with the laws of nature._

 _Which brings me to the catastrophe that was today…_

* * *

"This rare chi-enhancing tea is a natural stimulant. In an ordinary warrior, it improves strength and energy ten-fold. In you, it may induce the Avatar State."

"Ten-fold energy huh?"

Jade rolled her eyes as Aang quickly sculled down the very bitter, very potent tea.

She, Katara, Sokka were sitting in an outside terrace with General Fong and one of the many soldiers who was now serving a second cup to the young Avatar.

Being an ex-kitchen maid and cook, Jade knew the effects of the brew, and knew that while it would certainly pep someone up, the chances of it inducing a spiritually charged blast of power was next to zero.

 _Spirits give me strength…_

She sighed heavily as she felt a breeze whoosh by and a young childish voice crying out in a rush:

"Is it working? Is it working? I can't tell! Somebody tell me if I'm in the Avatar State 'cause I don't have a good view of myself! Am I talking too loud?"

"Well I suppose he could _talk_ the Fire Lord to death." Sokka grumbled from her left.

* * *

 _Yeah… so that attempt worked out swimmingly._

 _Though it had to be better than some of the other ideas we came up with later, which varied from the classic shock treatment-_

* * *

"Maybe I could shock you into the Avatar State" Sokka suggested.

"I love surprises" Aang grinned excitedly as Katara put her hands over his eyes, only to remove them a second later.

But instead of seeing Sokka standing there grinning, there was Momo's screeching head poking out of the Water Tribe boy's body.

"AGHH!" Aang yelped glancing down at his tattooed arms, which as Jade expected, still the same as before.

"Nope still not glowing."

- _To elaborate phony "ancient ceremonies," by an Oracle, who I'm not sure was completely qualified for the job-_

"You are wearing a ceremonial piece of cloth from each of the bending nations." An elderly man in a large long brown fur and pants proclaimed loudly in the vast underground temple.

Aang stood below him awkwardly trying not to fidget in the heavy oversized garments he was now wearing. There was a blue water tribe cape, a fire nation army uniform, a leafy Earth Kingdom Hat and a ceremonial Air Nation belt. He was looking nervously up at the Earth Kingdom Oracle who had begun to shout again as he prepared a large bowl upon the alter before him.

"Now I will join the elements into one! Water"

He poured a jug of water into the bowl.

"Earth!" he chucked a handful of dirt into the water, before grabbing a fiery torch behind him.

"Fire! Air!" he added using a strange contraption to blow air into the mixture before throwing it away and throwing his hands up into the air dramatically "Four elements together as ONE!"

And with that he threw the bowl down upon Aang, who winced irritably as he was covered with-

"This is just mud" he grumbled.

"So…do you feel anything?" the Oracle quirked a quizzical brow.

Aang frowned thoughtfully, raising a finger.

Everyone drew in a bated breath.

"AAHHCHOO!"

There was a massive gust of wind and a wave of mud came crashing down all around him and his friends and allies who had come to watch.

"We have to find a way" General Fong growled irritably as he wiped mud from his face.

"We have to find a bath" Jade mumbled under her breath. She ignored the way the General glared at her sidelong as she and Katara quickly bent the remainder of the gunk away from themselves and Sokka, who had received a face full of mud.

* * *

 _So, as you can see diary, my day has been pretty hectic._

 _I can only wonder what has been happening with my brother. He must almost be ready to leave the Northern Water Tribe by now._

 _By the spirits how I miss him._

 _I hope he's alright and that nothing worse happens to him._

 _Speaking of stuff happening, I wonder what became of Lord Iroh and Prince Zuko._

 _I mean, I doubt I'm going to get any news of them here but still…the last I heard the two went missing on the icy seas of the North Pole on their own, and no one's heard of them since…_

* * *

"Look at these magnificent shells!" Lord Iroh of the Fire Nation, exclaimed happily as he gently deposited the contents of his small satchel, various tokens he'd plucked off the beach nearby his and his nephew's cosy retreat.

"I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come." His smile widened as he examined a beautiful large conch shell.

His nephew on the other hand was not so cheerful.

"We don't need any more useless things! You forget, we have to carry everything ourselves now" Zuko scowled as he grabbed the shell from his uncle and put it on a corner table.

Iroh scowled, about to berate his nephew for his rough handling of his keepsake when something in the corner of his eye.

But even as he turned to face it, a calm, sly voice seemed to hiss from the shadows.

"Hello brother, uncle."

Zuko wheeled around in shock. There in the dark corner of their cottage, sat a very familiar girl with dark hair and pale skin. Her fire nation uniform was polished to perfection and her sharp amber eyes seemed to glimmer coldly from the shadows like a cat. Eyes that he knew so well, for they often haunted his nightmares, both when he was awake and asleep. The eyes of his ever-perfect sister, Princess Azula.

"What are you doing here?"

"In my country we exchange a pleasant hello before asking questions" Princess Azula smirked, snagging a shell in between her claw like fingers as she stood up to her feet.

Despite himself, Zuko couldn't help but shudder. The last time he saw her before his banishment she had still been almost a head shorter than him. Now they were almost the same height allowing her stare to pierce straight through him as she sneered in his face.

"Have you become so uncivilized so soon, Zuzu? Why, you're even wearing _peasant_ jewellery-" her sneer widened as her eyes darted down to the collar of his robes where something small and green glimmered faintly.

"Don't call me that!" Zuko snapped but was quickly stopped by his uncle's hand on his elbow.

"To what do we owe this honour my dear niece" the old general bowed politely to his niece, though his tone was noticeably frostier upon her than it had ever been on his nephew.

Azula noticed this all too well, for upon glancing at her uncle her entire body tensed angrily despite her calm façade.

"Hmm…must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point" there was a solid crack and the shell in her fingers shattered into small pieces much to Iroh's displeasure. To make matters worse the princess was still smirking that horrible smirk as she continued "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumours of plans to overthrow him; treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust."

She paused briefly, her face suddenly turning sombre.

"Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home."

Iroh might have believed the expression had he not seen the malicious delight in her eyes. In all his years as a general he'd met some very cunning, calculating opponents indeed. But very rarely had he ever seen such a forked tongue hiss with such poison.

Who would have thought his fourteen-year-old niece would be such a conniving snake?

He looked to his nephew, who had uncharacteristically stayed silent throughout her entire speech. It was almost like he was on a different plane of existence altogether as he looked out the window.

It seemed all too surreal. His father…the man who had branded his shame…the one who had banished him…now wanted him back? He felt regret?

He barely heard his sister's next words as she scowled, clearly not pleased with his lack of response.

"Didn't you hear me? Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful. I just gave you great news-"

"I'm sure your brother simply needs a moment-" Iroh began patiently only to wince as Azula snapped over the top of him.

"Don't interrupt, Uncle!" she turned back to Zuko arms still crossed in annoyance "I still haven't heard my thank you. I'm not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way."

"Father regrets?" Zuko breathed, his voice raspy as if he'd just been hit in the guts. "He…wants me back?"

Azula sighed, relaxing a little upon seeing the hope gleam in her brother's very bright eyes as his fingers traced the odd little green stone he wore around his neck.

"I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening."

And with that she turned her back on her uncle and brother, not noticing the former's narrowed suspicious eyes on her back as the door shut behind her with a snap.

* * *

"Well, today was a complete waste of time." Jade rolled her eyes as she entered hers and Katara's room, drying her damp hair with a towel.

"Tell me about it." Katara scowled moodily from where she lay on her cot. "I can't believe Aang agreed to do this. I mean don't get me wrong, I want to end this war just as much as anyone but-but not like this!"

She shut her eyes and sighed, as Jade came to sit at the end of her bed.

"I don't like it either. But whether we like it or not it was bound to happen. General Fong was going to manipulate Aang into going into the Avatar State using whatever means necessary. At least now Aang can decide how he can approach this issue on his terms"

"I suppose…" Katara's eyes softened sadly. "But you weren't there Jade. You didn't see him when we went to the Southern Air Temple. He was so hurt and distraught when he saw what the Fire Nation did to his people…it was scary…it was like he wasn't human anymore"

Jade paused biting her lip.

There it was again. _"What the Fire Nation did"_. Every time someone outside the Fire Nation mentioned her home nation there was bitterness and disgust.

While Jade knew it was well deserved, it still felt like a stab of pain every time she heard the tones.

Almost as if reading her mind Katara mumbled apologetically.

"Sorry…I didn't mean- I know you and your family were Fire Nation and you weren't bad but-"

"It's okay" Jade forced a small smile onto her face "I'm pretty used to it. It's just…weird that's all. I know my nation has done some awful things in the past, and everyone else is right to hate us because of it. But when I think of my nation the first people I think about are my father and brother…"

She trailed off, coughing as she dabbed her towel at her eyes.

No crying was not going to solve their current situation.

"You should tell Aang what you just told me about the Southern Air Temple." She murmured hoarsely, hoping against hope that Katara would not pick up on her slip.

To her credit, Katara made no further move to pry and instead sighed back up to the ceiling.

"Do you think he'd listen. I mean, once Aang sets his mind to something it's kinda hard to sway him from it"

"Not when it comes from the people he cares about the most" Jade smiled gently putting a consoling hand on the girl's calf "Fong can guilt trip him till the cows come home, but Aang knows that whatever you and your brother say comes from a place of love. Just give it a go you might be surprised at what might happen"

"You're right. I should give it a go at least" Katara smiled as she sat up. "I'll go talk to him now. See you at dinner"

"Yeah…see you" Jade smiled as the other girl quickly dashed out of the room. Once the door was closed however she sighed heavily at the open window.

Through it she could see the sun starting to dip below the horizon line.

 _Another day gone by…_

She pulled out the green and white lotus tile she had secured on a black cord around her neck beneath her tunic.

"Oh Mom…Dad…I wish you were still here"

* * *

"We're going home! After three long years, it's unbelievable!" Zuko exclaimed excitedly as he rushed around the cabin, his hands full as he stuffed all his meagre belongings into a large satchel.

Such was his excitement as he packed his bags that he barely took heed of this Uncle's grim voice as he stared thoughtfully out of the window.

"It _is_ unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything" Iroh folded his arms as he stared at his own satchel, it was empty save the couple of seashells he had collected from the beach that morning.

"Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him!" Zuko rounded on his uncle eyes blazing "He cares about me!"

"I care about you!" Iroh yelled back leaping to his feet "And if Ozai wants you back, well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."

"You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know anything!" Zuko turned his back on his uncle angrily.

"Zuko, I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem-" Iroh reached out for his hand but was swatted away by his nephew as he sneered.

"I think you are exactly what you seem! A lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who's always been jealous of his brother!"

He turned his back again on his uncle once more as he stormed out the cabin door, completely missing the sad dismayed look on his uncle's face as he sagged in defeat back into his chair beside the window.

It seemed too good to be true, the old lord thought, his stomach churning uncomfortably. His brother sending for Zuko straight after the failed invasion at the North Pole, an invasion during which the two of them had blatantly gone against the Fire Nation's orders…and then there was the issue of Azula. While she had certainly changed from when she was a little girl, she was still as unscrupulous nature.

Had Iroh not had so many years' experience as a war tactician he would have thought that the distance between the two siblings had made them miss one another. But he knew better.

It was no secret that Azula had always despised Zuko since they were little, so for her to suddenly show concern and care for his wellbeing, was disturbing to say the least.

 _OH Zuko…of all the times you had to be so stubborn…_

He shook his head in his hand. He knew his nephew was a smart person, but why couldn't he ever see the truth about his father when so many other people could.

Then again, Ozai was his father, he supposed it was only natural for Zuko to want to please him. Of course it didn't help much that he was still suffering from a broken heart from the incident with Jade at the North Pole.

 _Jade…I wonder how she's doing now? She must be with the Avatar right now. And Shen…poor boy, I do hope he is alright, those burns should've hopefully healed by now…_

Iroh stared up into the night sky above. He could remember as if it were yesterday, the day he had first met the two Shi siblings. They had been on Ember Island enjoying the summer holidays with their parents at the same time Iroh and the rest of the Royal Family.

They had only been children then, Jade was but four years old, small for her age but bright and sweet, smiling happily as she played in the sand.

Shen was seven going on eight, tall and lean like his father, though with his own cheeky sense of humor. Iroh's own son Lu-Ten had been eleven years old but even so he and Shen had gotten on like a house on fire as they ran around and played in the waves.

And then there was Lien. Beautiful, graceful Lien, sitting and laughing as she helped her daughter build a sandcastle, her husband gazing lovingly at her from where he sat beside Iroh.

 _"Your family is beautiful and strong. You should be proud"_ Iroh had said happily as he kept his eyes trained on Lu-Ten and Shen splashing each other in the shallows.

" _I am…"_ Ruishi's smile softened with sadness " _I wish this could last forever… I wish they could always be like this…but they can't…not with this war…"_

"Ruishi…I am so sorry my old friend…I am so, so sorry"

* * *

Jade stared up at the ceiling of her bed. She could hear Katara's gentle breathing as she slept on her bed, and the gentle cool breeze through the window.

 _Just shut your eyes and fall asleep…just shut your eyes and breathe._

She tried telling herself.

But it was no use.

She just could not sleep.

She had tried to write in her diary, but for some reason just could not get any words out on paper.

And yet her hands itched with an all to familiar energy.

 _Oh screw it!_

She rolled her eyes to herself as she quietly slid off the bed and tiptoed towards a nearby chair, where she had draped her tunic and sash which she put on hurriedly. She barely made a noise as she crept out of the room. Being seen and not heard was the mark of a good servant, and while she didn't like the idea of answering to anyone anymore, she certainly was proud of how well she had mastered her old job.

It wasn't long before she had made her way up onto the rooftop of the great fort.

 _Now hopefully no one will hear me when I practice_

She sighed as she stepped out into the moonlight. The night air was peaceful, calm and quiet.

She walked over to the center and quietly began her kata's. She did no Kyai on her strong moves, instead choosing to just go through the motions.

As she moved, she bent some of the stone tiles around her, doing her best to add as much strength and solidity into the ends of her punches.

 _Still too smooth_

She groused to herself as she turned mid kata. Despite her best attempts to imitate the few other Earth Benders she'd seen in her life she still found herself flowing through the movements just like how her father and brother would do their firebending.

She supposed it was only natural, considering she'd grown up amongst Fire Benders all her life but still-

"Burning the midnight oil?" A man's voice suddenly spoke behind her.

Jade turned around lowering the earth she had bent over her head but letting it hover a few inches above her hand in readiness as she faced the onlooker.

"General Fong. To what do I owe the pleasure?" she clipped coldly but politely as the General stepped into the open, his armour still gleaming and polished. He didn't even look like he'd be going to bed any time soon.

"Oh nothing just enjoying this wonderful night, like you." He added eyeing the ball of earth above her hand. "You have interesting technique. Almost reminds me of a Firebender, then again I suppose I should've guessed seeing as you were raised by the enemy"

"I've told you before I am not your enemy." Jade narrowed her eyes "After my mother died I had to make do with what I had."

There was a split second in which Fong's eyes softened with pity as he looked upon her face.

"I see…so you weren't taught proper Earth Bending." he murmured.

Jade didn't say a word. Normally she wouldn't have a problem talking about her Earth Bending but for some reason she just couldn't trust Fong, if only because she wouldn't put it past him to use the knowledge about her to his advantage.

"I was taught enough. Now what is it that you want?" she straightened up to her fullest height to look him directly in the eye. Fong bristled as her jade gaze pierced his own slightly duller darker green one

"I want to know why you are so against the Avatar doing the right thing?" he answered stiffly. "I've thought about it long and hard and I realize that perhaps my assumptions of you being aligned to the enemy were perhaps a tad excessive. Then again we are at war and certain precautions must be taken when determining who is friend or foe. Even so I was wrong to judge you based on your father's reputation. But that still doesn't explain to me why a young woman such as yourself would be so averse to him using the Avatar State to defeat the man who was responsible for your mother's death?"

"I am _averse_ General, because I care about the safety and happiness of my _friends_." Jade snapped.

"And what if your concern is what's holding the Avatar back from greatness hmm?" Fong stepped forward, and Jade could feel the Earth beneath her feet tremble slightly "What if by caring so much you were actually stopping us all from winning the war? Have you ever thought about it like that? Think about it. With the Avatar at full strength what can stop us from ending the war now and giving us all the chance to start over-"

"Nice try General" Jade's lip curled "But I've lived alongside military men all my life. I know when people try to shove propaganda down my throat, and I don't appreciate having my life dictated to me just because a man in a uniform tells me. Whether he be Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom." She added smirking as Fong's eyebrow twitched with frustration.

He'd obviously thought she could be won over with his sweet honeyed words. Unfortunately for him she'd been born with some common sense.

"So…that's how it's going to be?" Fong narrowed his eyes. "Fine then. So be it. Guards! Seize her!"

"What?" Jade cried out in alarm as suddenly several earthbenders leapt out from fissures that had just cracked into being on the stone floor around her.

Quick as lightning she bent rocks at two of them that had lunged to grab her. they hit the mark, however it wasn't enough to sway the two other strong earthbenders that came up behind her and grabbed her arms in strong locks.

"Let me go!" she grunted as she struggled hard against them, but it was no use. They were too strong and there were too many of them.

"I'm terribly sorry to have to do this Lady Jade," Fong said, not sounding sorry at all. "But you leave me no choice. Avatar Aang will master the Avatar State and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

He turned to face his soldiers who all stood to attention at once.

"Lock her in one of the cells on the south wing, and make sure she doesn't escape. Cuff her hands with metal if you must. That's an order!" he barked when the other Earth benders all hesitated.

"Wait! Stop! You don't understand-Let me go!" Jade writhed and kicked wildly.

 **THUNK!**

Something heavy collided with the back of her head, causing all her vision to turn black.

* * *

"Sokka! Sokka, wake up."

"Huh?"

"I don't think we should be trying to bring on the Avatar State."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Do you think the general will be mad?"

"What can he say? You're the Avatar. Who knows better than you?"

Aang sighed as he heard Sokka's voice dwindle back into loud snores. He wished he could be as carefree as his friend sometimes, and most often he could. But for some reason tonight his entire being felt on edge.

Something had gone wrong somewhere he just knew it.

 _You're just nervous because you've got to talk to the general tomorrow._

He told himself as he sucked in a deep soothing breath.

 _Yeah…I just need to sleep and get some rest. General Fong might be disappointed but he should understand why we can't continue if I explain it all. He seems to be alright._

He lay back down in his bed, and though he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, he still couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't quite right in the air around him.

* * *

Prince Zuko scowled as he strode down the long winding stairs along the edge of the great cliff. He could see his sister's ship sitting peacefully at the main dock, it's gold and red embellishments glimmering in the light of the morning sun.

He was going home.

After all those years at sea he was going back home. His father wanted him back. He only wished his uncle could see reason and get off his lazy behind to come with him.

 _No! don't think about that. This is it. I'm finally leaving this place._

He thought excitedly.

"Wait! Don't leave without me!" a voice called behind him.

"Uncle! You changed your mind!" Zuko turned in surprise.

There high above, his Uncle dashed down from the top of the long narrow stairs towards him, shouldering his own backpack as he puffed:

"Family sticks together, right?"

Zuko beamed, as his uncle put a fatherly hand on his shoulder and steered him down the stairs.

"Now come on, it does not do to keep the Firelord waiting"

"Of course! We're finally going home" Zuko breathed, and though he looked happy, he couldn't help but feel a slight sting in his chest as he fingered the jade pendant hidden in the collar of his robes. He was so distracted that he missed his uncle's suspicious glance down towards the ship.

 _It's better this way._

He told himself.

 _She'll be free to be herself, and I'll get to go home. Now we both get what we want._

If only he knew.

* * *

"Ow…" Jade winced as she sat up.

She appeared to be in a prison cell. A dark and dank one that faintly smelled of urine and mud, with only one small window in the top corner. Through it she could see the early morning sun gently rise just above the horizon.

"Dammit! Fong you bastard! Ow-owowowow." she hissed as she looked down at her hands. Both were locked into large metal cylinders attached to long iron chains linked to the wall behind her.

"Great. locked up again!" she rolled her eyes to herself.

That was just the second time in the last month or so that she'd been imprisoned by a mad military man.

 _The spirits must really have it in for me._

She cursed herself softly as she stretched out, only to be jerked back as her arms pulled tight on the chains.

"brilliant just brilliant." She looked around the room. Her hands were encased in metal, her head was throbbing and she could barely move her arms.

Now how was she going to get herself out of this?

 _Gotta think of something quick before that Fong gets his hands on the others. Come on Jade think! THINK!_

"Argh!"

She slammed her heel down onto the ground in frustration, only to freeze as she heard the snap of something solid beneath her toes.

She looked down in surprise at the floor and saw to her astonishment a large crack in the stone tiles beneath her.

 _Either this is some flimsy floor I've just bent the earth without my hands…_

She frowned.

She'd rarely been able to do much earthbending without her hands. Most of her moves had only been the basic arm gestures with strong stances, such was the pitiful extent of her training. If she ever did manage to bend the earth with her feet it was usually accidental, or if she had stomped her feet in a temper tantrum, like she had just done now.

She looked down at the crack again, feeling around it with her feet. Technically the feet were extensions of her body like her arms so the general principle of bending should've been the same…

She stomped her foot down on the ground and the crack extended further.

She bit her lip.

Now if she could just get loose of these chains…

 _Don't worry guy's I'll get out of this soon._

* * *

"The thing is, I don't think we'll ever be able to trigger it on purpose. So I guess that's it." Aang finished with a glance down to his toes.

He was in the General's war room, Sokka standing some feet away to his side for encouragement.

Katara and Jade were nowhere to be seen, but given both girls obvious distaste for Fong and his methods, Aang wasn't too worried.

In fact he was relieved when the General only gave him a calm but disappointed frown.

"You sure I can't change your mind?"

"I'm sure. I can only reach the Avatar State when I'm in genuine danger"

Fong sighed.

"I see. I was afraid you'd say that."

BANG!

"Whoa!" Aang cried out as suddenly the General's desk slammed into him.

"AANG!" Sokka cried out as he was grabbed by two large burly Earth Benders.

But it was too late, Aang and the desk had already crashed through one of the stone walls and were falling to the ground below.

"MEN!" General Fong bellowed at the top of his lungs "ATTACK THE AVATAR!"

* * *

 _Phew! Finally!_

Jade sighed with relief as she finally managed to tug her chained arms free of the wall. They were still bound in metal but she could deal with that later. Right now she needed to use her legs to earthbend herself out the door.

She had just about stomped another large crack into the wall opposite when she heard a thunderous slam from outside.

"Oh no" she gulped as she heard a young voice call out in the distance.

"What are you doing?!"

 _FONG! That slimy bastard-_

"ARAGH!" she roared as she slammed her foot down with such force upon the wall that a huge chunk of it blasted backwards into the corridor beyond.

"What was that?" she heard a man's voice cry out in alarm as she stepped out the large hole in the wall she'd left.

"great" She muttered as three Earth Kingdom guards dashed around the corner at the far end of the corridor and rushed towards her.

"Well. Too late to turn back now" she growled and before the guards had any idea what was going on she charged at them, sliding to a stop at the last minute and pressing her heel into the ground.

At once the stone tiled floor rippled like a strange wave, causing all three men to cry out in shock and alarm as they failed to slow down in time, and promptly slam face first into the ground.

"Sorry fella's maybe next time" Jade smirked as she jumped over them and dashed around the corner and up a flight of stairs

"When your boss isn't about to kill my friends" she added in an undertone.

Now how on earth was she going to get these metal cuffs off?

* * *

"Brother, Uncle. Welcome. I'm so glad you decided to come"

Zuko barely heard his sisters words of welcome as he and his uncle both passed the Royal Prosession Guards and stepped towards the gangplank of the Royal barge.

Behind him his uncle was far more quiet, and though he kept up the polite façade, his amber eyes were darting between the guards suspiciously even as they bowed in respect along with the ship captain.

"Are we ready to depart Your Highness?"

"Set a course for home, Captain" Azula smiled oh-so sweetly.

"Home" Zuko repeated the word softly.

And yet as he said it, the first image that came to mind wasn't of the Royal Palace. It wasn't even the Fire Nation. It was-

His thoughts were interrupted by the Captain's loud command.

"You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners hom-" the Captain stopped short, horror filling every fibre of his being as his eyes widened in terror.

And for good reason. If looks could kill, Azula's eyes would've sunk an entire armada right there and then as she glared down at her bumbling subordinate.

"Y-Your highness-I-I-"

There was a loud thud and a cry of pain, as Lord Iroh swiftly and surely threw off the pair of guards that stood close behind him and his nephew, who snarled in fury as he threw the captain aside and into the water.

He should've known it was all too good to be true. He should've, but he didn't want to believe. Everything had just been going so rottenly for the past few weeks that he had stupidly, naively clung to smidgeon of hope that had been offered on a silver platter.

Then again, he probably should've expected nothing less from Azula.

"You lied to me!"

"Pff! Like I've never done that before" Azula snorted as she smugly turned her back on him, letting her own two personal guards face her brother.

But they were no match for his anger.

"RAGH!"

That's it. That was the last time he ever let his sister pull the wool over his eyes.

 _I'll show her! I'll show her once and for all!_

* * *

"OOF!" Jade wheezed as she crashed into someone.

"Jade?"

"Katara! Thank spirits" She sighed in relief as the young waterbender quickly helped her back up to her feet.

"What on earth happened? Why are your hands-"

"It was Fong" Jade growled angrily "He and his men ambushed me last night"

"They what?!" Katara's eyes widened in alarm but was stopped from yelling any further by a great shuddering in the ground.

"Here! Hold tight for a second" Katara summoned out her bending water from her pouch. It trickled out in a slender stream which she gently bent to flow into the locks of the metal binding's around Jade's hands.

"Almost got it…THERE!" Katara hissed in victory as the locks clicked open.

"Thank spirits!" Jade sighed in relief as she shook the cuffs off, kicking them to the side as they clattered to the ground. "Now come on let's go find Aang"

They dashed outside into the main base courtyard and Jade's heart sank in her chest.

There were many earthbenders all standing and bending gigantic circular disks with square holes cut out from the centre (much like the Earth Kingdom coins).

In their midst, General Fong was earthbending at a small orange and yellow blur that was zooming around in mid air trying to avoid collision with the gigantic piles of earth bent his way.

"KATARA! JADE! HELP!" someone frantically yelled from the side.

"Sokka! What's going on?" Katara called out as Sokka came bounding down the tall stairs towards them three at a time.

"The General's gone crazy! He's trying to force Aang into the Avatar State."

"We gotta get those soldiers out of the way" Jade cried out as they darted into the fray.

"Way ahead of you" Sokka cried out as he threw his boomerang at a nearby soldier, who crumpled as the curved piece of metal hit him in the helmeted head.

Jade was quick to follow, earth bending directly at Fong who blinked in surprise at the large rock that came hurtling through the air at him.

However he was quick to dodge with a small smirk.

"Nice try Lady Jade. But it will take a lot more than your amateur bending to stop me."

"Oh yeah?" Jade smirked.

She knew he'd be able to block her moves, he was a master bender after all.

She just needed to distract him long enough for Katara and Sokka to take out the other soldiers and buy Aang time to call Appa.

Plus it felt really good aiming rocks at the bastard's head.

The General who sneered as he avoided yet another one of her attacks.

"How pitiful, the daughter of one of the greatest Earth Benders in the world, and all you know how to do is talk big and chuck rocks. You are a disgrace. A traitor!"

"Yeah. Tell me something I don't know!" Jade snarled, her chest stinging in spite of herself.

Barely a couple of months ago she'd heard the exact same words from another Earth Bender's mouth, and then merely a couple of weeks ago the same words came spewing out of the mouth of her villainous uncle.

Her uncle…

 _…Zhao…that vile poisonous snake._

Her lip curled as she looked upon General Fong. How ironic, that she should find two men so alike on both sides of the war.

"Maybe you can avoid me, but **she** can't" General Fong cried out to Aang who had flown up to a safe vantage point.

But it was the view on the ground level that had Jade transfixed. Katara was standing in the midst of a group of soldiers, all barricading her in an arrow shaped formation made from the giant discs they'd seen earlier.

Desperately Katara tried bending her water whip at him, only for Fong to summon up some earth and turn it into mud.

"FONG NO!" Jade cried out as she rushed forwards to help, only to get bashed roughly aside from a large slab of Earth that Fong blasted her way. It was heavy and pressed down hard upon her as it sandwiched her between it and the hard ground below, slowly but surely crushing her ribcage, even as she tried to shove it off with her earth bending.

"Katara!" she cried as the younger girl squeaked in alarm as with a twist of the General's feet, she spun and sunk about a foot into the ground as it was turned into quicksand.

"I can't move-"

"Don't hurt her" Aang yelled as he leapt down back to the ground and bent a strong gust of wind at the General, who blocked it with a wall of wind.

There was another swish of shifting sand and Katara yelped as she suddenly sunk down to her waist in the quicksand.

"Katara!" Sokka yelled as he suddenly appeared, riding an armoured ostrich-horse between the large disks. However, his rescue was cut short as his steed was also sunk, knee deep into the courtyard, throwing him off so violently that he went flying.

"Fong stop! This is madness!" Jade yelled as with all the strength she could muster she threw off the disk and rolled over onto her hands and knees. Yet, no sooner had she gotten to her feet, did two guards grab her by the arms, holding her back roughly even as Aang grabbed onto Fong's arm.

"Stop this! You have to let her go!" he yelled desperately.

"You could save her if you were in the Avatar State" Fong glared down at the terrified boy.

"I'm trying" Aang looked up beseechingly, tears welling in his large grey eyes.

"AANG! I'm SINKING!" Katara shrieked frantically as she sank down to her shoulders.

But it wasn't enough for Fong.

"I don't see glowing" he snarled lowering his right arm and beginning to close his hand into a fist.

Jade's eyes widened in horror. She knew that move…she knew it because she'd seen her mother do it long ago. Back then it had only been done on a flower pot. But this was…

"NO!" She yelled her cries mingling with Katara's own terror as she was sunk down to her head only.

"Please!"

"You don't need to do this" Aang begged falling to his knees.

"Apparently I do" Fong spat scornfully, and he clenched his fist tight.

There was a sickening slide of sand and a cry of fear as Katara all but sank beneath the ground, almost as smoothly as if she'd been drowned in water.

With a gasp of desperation, Aang leapt forwards snatching for the waterbender's braid, only for his fingers to snap on thin air.

There was a bone numbing silence as everyone stared aghast at the young bald head, on which a blue tattoo suddenly began to glow white.

"Aang?" Jade breathed, her heart almost stopping in her chest as Aang turned his head around in a snarl, his eyes shining with bright white light.

 _Oh crap…what have we done?_

* * *

"Zuko! Let's go!"

Zuko heard his uncle shout at him from over the hubbub of fighting and grunts of pain. But the prince only had eyes for his sister as he summoned up two fiery daggers to his hand.

He lunged forwards, swiping and slicing ferociously, even as she dodged to the side smoothly, her steps precise and measured to match his own like they were dancing.

"You know, Father blames Uncle for the loss of the North Pole." She snarled viciously as they both stopped for breath, Zuko panting heavily even as she ploughed on mercilessly "And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar and falling for the enemy's tricks! Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?"

She quickly stepped back at her last word as her brother swiped once more at her face with his fiery weapons, only to jump as he aimed a fiery blast at her feet.

She landed on the deck stairs several feet away, her hand flying out to slice at the scarred side of his face as he tried to attack her once more.

She missed, her fingernails scraping the right side of his forehead where his face wasn't scarred. But it was no matter, she'd get him eventually.

They were halfway up the stairs by now as she swiftly reached out and blocked another one of his fire daggers, this time swirling her wrist around anti-clockwise to block and grab his wrist.

The flame in his hand extinguished and Zuko stared slightly stunned as she fixed him with a sneer. Or at least her mouth was sneering, her eyes were quite fierce and terrifying even as she pulled up her free hand and unleashed something bright, blue and crackling.

 _Lightning?!_

Zuko gasped as he managed to stumble backwards from her just in time, only to fall back down the stairs onto his back.

He looked up groggily, and though his vision slightly blurred from his fall he could clearly make out his sister's form high above him moving her arms in circular motion, the lightening following the path of her fingertips as she began to release it.

Then suddenly she gasped, as a much larger older hand grabbed hers.

Zuko stared at his uncle who swiftly pulled his niece's arm into a lock before pushing out his own two fingers from which the lightning she had summoned burst out. It streaked over the water in a flash of blue light, hitting the cliffside opposite the boat, causing some of it to fall away.

It hit the water about the same time Azula did, as Iroh tossed her overboard with a couple of well placed jabs to her side.

"Get up Zuko! We've got to run now!"

* * *

"It worked! IT WORKED!" General Fong shouted in victory, not heeding the terrified yells of his subordinates or his opponents as they all scrambled back for cover as the Avatar rose in a vortex of swirling air.

"Avatar Aang! Can you hear me? Your friend is safe! It was just a trick to trigger the Avatar State and it worked!" Fong grinned manically over the roaring of the wind. With a few pushes upward with his Earth Bending Katara was brought back from beneath the ground, coughing and exhausted. Her face was distraught as she looked up at Aang's wrathful face hovering above them.

But Aang didn't seem to be listening to the general's words. Instead his body came down from the massive vortex with such force, it sent a shockwave through the entire ground.

"Hold on!" Jade grabbed onto Sokka, who had finally managed to come to her aid, summoning up a wall of rock to shield them from the large wave of earth that burst their way.

 _Please Aang. Please snap out of it._

She shut her eyes tight, her heart hammering even as the tremours in the earth began to slowly but surely die down. Once they were completely subsided, she peered around her barrier.

Aang was on the ground, on his hands and knees, the earth around him cracked and some of the surrounding building's smashed.

General Fong and several of his men had fallen back to the ground, while some of the other smarter Earth Benders came out from behind their own barriers sheepishly.

Only Katara remained where she had been earlier, her body and the ground around her completely unscathed, though Jade was not surprised. Out of his three human friends, Aang did care for Katara the most, it was only natural she'd be the one he protected even while in the Avatar State.

Panting Jade pulled down the wall in front of her and Sokka, who had been holding onto the reigns of a frightened Ostrich-horse that he had pulled behind the wall to save it from the destruction.

Quickly they got on the mount, which nickered slightly in fear at first, before relaxing as Sokka took the reins and began to steer them over to their friends.

"Here allow me" Jade snarled as she caught sight of Fong getting to his feet, ruffled but unfortunately unscathed as he looked at Aang and Katara.

"I'm so sorry Katara. I hope you never have to see me like that again" Aang murmured as Katara embraced him in a tight comforting hug.

"Ha! Are you joking? That was almost perfect!" Fong barked, his manic sneer returning in full force as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We just have to find out a way to control you when you're like that."

"You're out of your mind" Ang glared angrily at the General who merely shrugged.

"I guess we'll figure it out on the way to the Fire Natio-ugh!" Fong stumbled backwards as a petite but powerful fist slammed straight into his nose.

"what the-" he spluttered as Jade reeled back her arm, green eyes flashing viciously as she spat.

"That was for locking me up. This is for insulting my **father**." She punctuated her last word with a punch to his gut before placing both her hands on his shoulder "and this is for my friends"

And without further ado she smashed her knee between his legs, _hard._

With a very unmanly gasp and squeak, General Fong keeled over, clutching at his privates and writhing in pain, even as a large club came smashing down over his head and knocked him out.

"Anybody got a problem with that?" Sokka smirked from his spot behind Fong on the Ostrich horse.

The other Earthbenders all around them all shook their heads, relief flooding them even as a couple of the senior officers timidly approached the four teens.

"Do you still want an escort to Omashu?" they bowed respectfully.

Aang, Katara, Sokka and Jade all glanced at one another in irritation, but it was quick to turn calm. After all it wasn't the soldiers fault this happened. Even Jade wasn't mad at the soldiers that had imprisoned her the night before. After all they were soldiers, they were just following orders.

Fong on the other hand…

Her angry thoughts were interrupted by the chirrups of Momo who came flying down to Aang's shoulders and Katara's smirk.

"I think we're all set"

* * *

Azula couldn't believe it. Her miserable excuse for a brother and her even more miserable excuse for an uncle had escaped.

 _That stupid captain. If I didn't need his expertise in sailing my ship I'd have him thrown overboard in chains and let him drown._

She snarled as she stormed up onto a large platform in front of the large waterfall resort patrons and staff and thrust out a large wanted poster.

On it her uncle's pathetically peaceful face had been painted just above her scarred shameful brother's.

"Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord!" She snarled nails digging into the wood of the balcony before her, much to the fear of those who watched her below.

"There will be no place left to hide!"

* * *

Zuko and Iroh both panted as they dashed down the small hidden path along the banks of the river.

"I think we're safe here" Iroh puffed as they came to a stop.

Zuko didn't say a word as he fell to his knees and looked down into his reflection.

 _"We're taking the prisoner's home"… Prisoners_

He still couldn't quite believe it, not even after running all this way.

It didn't make any sense. He'd served his nation diligently, was searching for the avatar all this time. He had wanted the Fire Nation to win. How could he now be a traitor to the crown?

He caught sight of the green pendant peeking through the collar of his robes in the reflection and at once words unbidden in that sweet voice filled his head.

 _"At least you weren't born with the face of the enemy"_

The face of the enemy…

Zuko looked down at his own scarred reflection.

No…it was no use questioning why he was in this situation. He was in it now and he'd have to find a way to survive. If he and his uncle truly were branded traitors, Azula would most definitely have put a prince on their heads.

Quietly he slipped out a dagger from the folds of his robes and unsheathed it.

The Kanji engraved on it's blade glimmered faintly in the light of the afternoon sun.

 _Never give up without a fight._

But Zuko wasn't giving up. He was biding his time. He'd get stronger. But first he and his uncle needed to find safety.

With a single solid slice the ponytail atop the prince's head fell away into his hand.

He looked down at the locks of black, eyes downcast as he handed the dagger over to his uncle, who swiftly sawed off his own grey topknot before dropping it alongside the ponytail into the river.

Never to be seen again.

* * *

 _Dear diary._

 _It's been one heck of a day. Firstly General Fong imprisoned me. Then he tried to force Aang into the Avatar State by pretending to hurt Katara, which unfortunately worked out for him as Aang nearly demolished half the entire Earth Kingdom base in a single swipe._

 _Thank heavens he was able to stop himself in time before we all were killed._

 _That damned Fong what is he thinking? How dare he use his power to hurt people like that._

 _I hope he gets court marshalled and thrown in the deepest, darkest, wooden cell ever made._

 _As for my friends they're doing alright. But then again they could be doing much better._

 _They're all sleeping around the campfire next to Appa. Aang's been on edge and hasn't spoken much since we left the base this afternoon._

 _Katara too has been quiet but has been trying to take her mind off what happened by playing with Momo._

 _Sokka and I seem to be the only two ranting and fuming openly about what happened. He wanted to know about what happened to me and why Fong imprisoned me last night._

 _That damned bastard!_

 _I'm sorry diary, but I still can't get over half the stuff that bastard's done…or said._

 _And he calls me a disgrace to my mother's name._

 _Speaking of which will nobody EVER stop comparing me to my mother. By spirits I love her but now it's getting ridiculous._

 _I'm not her! I'm never going to be as great as her I know it. But still, it couldn't hurt for others to just…_

Jade sighed through her gritted teeth, quickly looking around the small camp.

It was dead of night. They'd flown the entire afternoon and had come to a stop just beside a long winding river.

Jade was the only one up, her journal in her lap and pen in the other as she scribbled furiously into the pages.

She was so mad she had even punctured a page at one point but she didn't really care.

Her anger at the day's events was just coursing through her even as she put the book to the side to dry next to her cot.

 _Need to cool off._

She tried to calm herself down as she carefully got to her feet and slunk off to sit beside the river.

But no matter how much she tried to soothe herself, she was still fuming. If she had been a firebender her hands would've steamed even as she lowered them into the water to splash her face.

But no.

She'd been born an Earth Bender.

A clumsy, overly sensitive, hot headed undisciplined Earth Bender.

She sighed heavily. She was an earth bender. She should've been able to save Katara from Fong's trap. But she had just stood there like a stunned mullet while Aang had succumbed to his grief.

She looked down at her reflection, scowling as for a moment she thought she saw her own mother glaring up at her, green eyes piercing green.

She wondered if this was what her father used to see whenever he looked at her. It must have been. Jade knew her resemblance to her mother was striking. It was one of the reasons her family never needed a portrait to remember what she looked like.

However, this time, it did nothing to help.

She watched her reflection, feeling more like an onlooker than a participant as she took out a dagger from her boot and pulled it up to the long high ponytail she'd tied.

She felt the loss of weight before she saw the long bound locks fall into her hand.

So many years she'd taken pride her long smooth hair. Even when she was little and hadn't much in the ways of looks, she'd always loved her hair. She always wanted it to be just like her mothers…

 _But now mum is in the past…and I've got to look forward._

She looked down at the sawn off ponytail in her hands as she rose to her feet.

"I'm sorry mom" she whispered as she walked over to the campfire and stared into its heart.

The warm amber glow…so much like her father's eyes.

A tear escaped her as she threw the brown hair into the fire

Her father…her mother…she'd never see them again, and her brother…well who knew when she'd ever see him again, if she ever did.

Now she had nothing. She was orphaned, alone…

Well not completely alone, she noted as she saw her younger companions shift and turn over in their disturbed sleep, completely oblivious to the girl with the short hair and the Jade green eyes as she fell to her knees and began to quietly sob, not noticing the shadow that vanished from between the trees nearby.

* * *

TADAA! i'm back!

sorry it took so long to update, but i was on holiday for the latter half of January in Japan (so awesome) and didn't write at all on that trip, though i got a lot of fantastic inspiration for my writing especially from all the temples i went and visited. Then when i came back home and work was full on so i barely had time to write anything. even now i'm posting this story before i leave for work.

Anyways here is a super long chapter for all you wonderful fans that have been waiting for an update. So yeah, Fong's been dealt with and Jade and Zuko are now on their own paths. It was hard figuring out a way to incorporate Jade into the Gaang as I've written her with Zuko for so long, but something i've noticed in my writings in Book 1 is that in many ways her experiences sometimes mirror his own journey. Like the hair situation as Zuko cuts his hair and gives it to the water while Jade cuts hers and throws it in the Fire. Fire/Water, two opposites that are both symbols of rebirth and destruction. I personally find symbolism in different cultures quite fascinating and i hope to continue exploring them in this fic.

I'm also enjoying exploring Jade's budding Earth Bending. It's been hard to find a balance between her natural instinctive talent and her relative inexperience to other Earth Benders, but it's also kinda been fun because i get to research and look into all the facts about Earth Bending. I hope i get it right because i don't want her to be the character that can suddenly learn everything super fast and magically solve all the worlds' problems (besides that's the Avatar's job :P). also her personality is kinda different from book one, but then again she has just lost her family and this is the first time we're seeing her in a new environment where she's not sure of where she stands and is still trying to find her feet. i figured now she was freer to be herself she might have more of a hot-temper (after all she is part fire nation).

Anyways enough of my rambling. i hope you enjoyed and please review for hte next chapter. Your reviews help give me fuel for writing at this busy time.

Cheers

FuzzyBeta


	4. 3 - The Cave of Two Lovers Part 1

**Chapter 3: The Cave of Two Lovers Part 1**

The day dawned bright and early when Jade Shi opened her eyes. Though winter was waning into spring there was still a cold bite to the morning air that was quick to rouse her from her sleep.

 _Well, gotta get up and help pack my sleeping gear._

Jade winced as she stretched out her back. It had been a long time since she'd been camping. For the past two years she'd been on Prince Zuko's ship she'd been sleeping in a bed. Even if it was a slightly hard military cot tucked into a tiny room of a tin can floating on water, it still was a bed. Then there were those few times she'd been on shore camping with the crew for one or two nights, yet she always had a thick camping futon between her and the flat ground.

Now she was grunting as she tiredly tried to massage a knot made in her back from the tree root that had been under her all night.

In the corner of her eye she could see the faint shadow of Katara clumsily wiping at her face as she crawled over to where her brother lay snoring in his animal fur sleeping pack.

The only one fully awake was Aang, who was sitting up straight by the river, legs uncrossing from their lotus position as he turned around to break his meditation.

"Good morning" he smiled wide.

"Morning Aang" Jade yawned wide as she reluctantly pulled out her feet from the warmth of her sleeping pack. "Spirits it's cold."

She shivered as she quickly shoved her shoes over her half-frozen toes. She wasn't the only one complaining.

"Five more minutes" Sokka whined as Momo leapt on him and scurried over his sleeping bag to rouse him.

"Sorry Sokka," Aang grinned excitedly "but like you said yesterday, we've got to keep moving if we're going to reach Omashu within the week. Now come on! I just got everything loaded on Appa"

"Oh, alright fine" Sokka groaned as he finally, and slowly heaved himself out of his bag only to frown as he caught sight of Jade.

"Hey? What happened to your hair? It's so…."

"Short" Katara finished blinking in surprise as she too caught sight of the brown head of hair.

Where there had once been long flowing locks of rich brown, was now a short slightly ruffled bob with one or two wisps of hair over a pale forehead.

"Yeah…I cut it last night when you guys were asleep" Jade blushed slightly as she quickly neatened her parting.

"When we were a-wait a minute" Sokka's eyes narrowed dramatically with suspicion "That was you! You threw your hair into the fire, didn't you?"

"Yep" Jade nodded and Sokka smirked victoriously at his sister who rolled her eyes as he exclaimed.

"See, I told you the fire smelled weird last night. But did anyone listen to me? No!"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you guys" Jade scratched her neck guiltily.

"It's okay. We were all pretty pooped out from yesterday anyway" Katara assured her, glaring at her brother who now rolled his eyes.

"Not me. That smell kept me up half the night. And you told me it was just Appa passing wind"

"Well to be fair Appa can let loose some whiffy ones after having sloozeberries" Aang suggested quickly patting his bison who groaned loudly as he stretched out his own limbs.

Katara looked at Jade, her face softening as she caught sight of the green eyes darting anxiously to the ground. Or rather her irises were green while the whites of her eyes were still a faint red even as she forced herself to chuckle at Aang's joke.

Katara knew that look all to well. It was the same look she and her brother had always worn after the death of their mother. The look of someone trying to keep it together.

"It's okay. As long as we don't make it a habit of throwing our hair into the fire every night we shouldn't have a problem" she said calmly patting Jade on the shoulder.

"Thanks Katara" Jade smiled in gratitude.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today is the start of a new day. We've been travelling for a whole week on Appa's back and are finally at the foot of the Kolau Mountains._

 _My mother's birthplace, the village Yu-H_ _é, is just a few miles away past the city of Omashu, hidden somewhere in mountainside of the great Lucky Twin, Sh_ _ān Y_ _ùnqi. This is the first time I'm even this close to the mountain range, let alone the mountain itself so I have to admit I'm pretty excited about being here._

 _It's almost exactly as mom described it. The lake before the foot of the nearest Mountain, the fresh air. All of it is the perfect haven for an Earth bender like me._

 _I only hope my nation-I-I mean the Fire Nation, haven't started making their moves here. It's one thing to see the entire Northern Water Tribe suffer at their hands, but if I had to watch them demolish my mother's homeland…_

Jade shuddered, but quickly squashed down the feeling as she looked out towards the lake. Aang and Katara were practicing their waterbending in the shallows nearby while Sokka lounged about on a giant leaf that floated about Momo curled over his belly. All of them were stripped down to their underwear but surprisingly they were all comfortable despite the lack of clothes. Even Jade herself didn't mind it as she sat on a nearby rocky seat she'd made for herself, her feet dangling in the water as she sat in her bindings and underwear and basked in the sun as she wrote in her diary.

She paused briefly as Sokka craned his head up from his floating leaf to scowl at his sister through his hair that covered his face.

"You guys are going to be done soon, right? We have a lot of ground to cover if we're going to make it to Omashu today."

"What? Like you're ready to go right now, naked guy?" Katara smirked smugly at his semi-naked form.

"I could be ready in two minutes. Seriously, whenever."

"Alright have it your way. Oh and Sokka?" Jade smirked, green eyes glinting as she mischievously winked at Aang and Katara who bit on her lip to stifle a giggle as her brother grunted.

"What?"

"There's a leach on your leg"

"WHAT?! WHERE?! AHGH!"

Jade, Katara and Aang all sniggered as Sokka yelped, overbalanced his leaf and splashed overboard into the water.

When he surfaced he was sopping wet and scowling angrily as he inspected his leach-free leg.

"That wasn't funny!" he snapped at Jade who was leaning back and chortling.

"Oh-oh your face! Ha-ha!" she clutched her stomach which was beginning to ache from all the laughs.

"Hmph! Girls." Sokka grumbled as he got back on his leaf and reclined once more.

Stifling her giggles, Jade put aside her diary to watch Katara help Aang perfect his Water bending. She was showing him a rather odd technique, and Jade tilted her head curiously as Katara quickly strode forward and corrected Aang's stance from behind.

 _Aww poor guy._

Jade smirked, stifling an amused giggle as she saw the young avatar's face blush beet red as his arms were pulled together to protect his middle.

"Now let's see what you got" Katara's voice carried as she quickly retracted and stood back a few feet away in a defensive stance.

Jade watched curiously as Aang summoned up several tentacle like tendrils of water to surround him and defend against the shards of ice his teacher sent his way.

He blocked them expertly, his body moving far more fluidly than one would expect when looking at his youthful gangly form. But if there was one thing Jade knew about the young Avatar it was that he was often full of surprises.

Indeed, she found herself grinning as he sneakily managed to snake a tendril of water around Katara's leg and gently break her strong long stance.

"You make a fine octopus pupil Aang" Katara smiled approvingly and laughed along with Jade as said pupil began dancing goofily in the middle of an octopus made from water.

 _I wonder if there's an Earth Bending equivalent to that?_

Jade wondered as she picked up her pen and diary to put them away, only to stiffen as a strange sound wafted towards her and the rest of them.

It sounded like… strings?

"Don't fall in love with the travelin' girl. She'll leave you broken-broken hear~ted" a voice sang and even as the group of teens peered at the wooded river bank they could just make out a small group of adults sauntering their way over. Each of them were dressed in very loose, comfortable clothing dyed in soft colours, decorated with small wildflowers, and were carrying both a bag and a musical instrument of some kind.

"He-ey! River people!" The singer, a dark tanned man with slightly messy and matted brown hair wearing in blue and yellow with a flowery necklace around his neck and sporting a red pipa, cried out happily.

"We're not river people?" Katara looked at her companions confused.

"You're not? Then what kind of people are you?" the strange man frowned at them puzzled.

"just people" Aang shrugged.

"Aren't we all brother. Whew!" the man sighed contentedly.

"Who're you?" a suspicious Sokka narrowed his eyes as he stormed up to point at the strangers, much to his sister's exasperation.

But the strange people were not offended. Indeed, their pipa player only smiled as he gestured to his companions.

"I'm Chong and this is my wife Lily" he gestured to the woman in brown next to him who carried a wooden flute "We're nomads. Happy to go wherever the wind takes us. Aiahhha…" he sang as he suddenly strummed a few hard chords on his Pipa.

"Is it just me or has this guy smoked one too many opium pipes" Jade muttered under her breath, her frown deepening as she caught a whiff of something sweet and smoky coming off the man's body.

"You're nomads? That's great I'm a nomad!" Aang gave a wide friendly smile which vanished as Chong grinned dazedly.

"Hey me too"

"I know, you just said that."

"Oh?" Chong blinked as recollection finally caught up to his slow acting brain, only for it to be distracted again as he caught sight of Sokka's semi-naked form. "Nice underwear"

"Yep he's high as a kite" Jade rolled her eyes, smirking along with Katara as they both watched Sokka quickly snag Momo from his shoulders to cover his front as he scooted away to hide behind her rock.

* * *

"I didn't find anything to eat! I can't live like this! I wasn't meant to be a fugitive." Prince Zuko, roared at the sky as he emerged from a nearby bush and out into a clearing.

It was midday, he'd been looking for berries and fruit amidst the dense foliage on the forest floor. But so far all he'd found was shrubs, shrubs and more shrubs.

His uncle too, had had little luck in finding food and it was beginning to show. His once fat jolly face looked leaner and thinner.

Zuko himself hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon when he and his uncle had used their last coin to buy a miserable dry bread bun to split between them at the nearby village.

And so it was with an angry roar that he raised his fists to the sky.

"This is impossible!" he rounded on his uncle who he could see crouching by a nearby bush and sniffing at a flower that grew from it.

"Uncle? What are you doing?" he frowned.

"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking. That, or it's the white jade, which is poisonous" Iroh stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing"

"Hmm, delectable tea? Or deadly poison?"

Zuko rolled his eyes as his uncle continued to ponder, quickly clutching at his stomach as it gave another horrible gurgling growl.

Unlike his uncle, the banished prince had a high metabolism (thanks to his rigorous training regime and his youth) and burnt through whatever food he ate within the hour of eating it. Needless to say it wasn't easy adapting to this newfound state of poverty, after years of living in the lap of luxury where three square meals and snacks prepared for him every day.

But it wasn't just the food Zuko found himself missing. He'd give anything to have four walls and a roof to protect him from the cold, not to mention a warm dry bed and blanket…and maybe someone to share it with. Someone who wasn't his Uncle.

His fingers ghosted over the jade pendant that sat over his chest from a thin black cord beneath his shirt collar.

He didn't know why he kept the bloody thing. Logically he should've sold it off by now to get money for him and his uncle to survive. Pure green jade after all wasn't an easy stone to find in this part of the world.

Yet he couldn't, and neither did his uncle force him to do so either.

Zuko wished he had, it would've given him an excuse to ignore the ache in his chest and to only feel the hunger in his belly.

He shook his head out. He was wasting time, and he really needed to get a start on the fishing before they starved another day.

* * *

Jade sighed as she finished packing up the last of the cooking supplies into the camp packs. A few feet away, Appa reclined happily as one of the hippy nomads braided his fur into long plaits of cream, decorating each of them with flowers.

On his six legs and back, the other Nomads, Aang and Katara all lounged about relaxing, the latter two having already finished packing their share of the supplies.

They were only waiting on Sokka, who after his embarrassment in the river, was not in such a good mood.

He scowled irritably as Aang smiled up brightly from where he reclined with a ring of flowers over his blue arrow.

"Hey, Sokka, you should hear some of these stories. These guys have been everywhere!"

"Well not everywhere, Little Arrowhead." Chong smirked as he paused his playing on his pipa. "But where we haven't been, we've heard about through stories and songs."

"They said they'll take us to see a giant night crawler!" Aang said excitedly.

"On the way, there's a waterfall that creates a never-ending rainbow!" Moku sighed in a dreamy voice as he took his pipe out of his mouth.

Jade's nose wrinkled as the pungent smell of Blue Poppy Opium suddenly wafted through the air and into her nose, making her feel slightly light headed.

It certainly didn't help Sokka's already foul mood as he sniped:

"Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara is busy, I guess it's up to me."

He ignored his sister's dirty glare from where she sat getting her hair braided with flowers by Lily.

"We need to get to Omashu. No sidetracks, no worms and definitely no rainbows." He folded his arms with a glower at Chong whose eyebrows rose.

"Wow, sounds like someone has a case of destination fever. You're worried too much about where you're going." Chong chuckled relaxing back into Appa's soft fur.

"You got to focus less on the "where" and more on the "going"." Lily smiled dreamily, accidentally tugging Katara's braid hard.

"O. Ma. SHU!" Sokka spat impatiently, and Jade couldn't help but snort.

She used to think Zuko was stubborn and impatient, but Sokka could get surprisingly dogmatic when it came to meeting deadlines or making schedules.

"Sokka's right." Katara conceded gently. "we need to find King Bumi, so that Aang can learn earthbending somewhere safe."

"Sound's like you're heading to Omashu" Chong shrugged and Jade giggled as Sokka face palmed his forehead hard, almost missing the rest of the hippy man's next sentence.

"There's an old story about a secret pass right through the mountains."

"You mean the Cave of two lovers right?" Jade looked at Chong who grinned at her excitedly.

"Ah, so you've heard of it?"

"Every Earthbender knows the story" Jade shrugged as she finished packing the last bowl into the bag.

"Is this real or a legend?" Katara frowned sceptically.

"Oh, it's a real legend. And it's as old as earthbending itself." Chong began strumming on his pipa, while his wife and friends picked up their instruments and began playing a tune.

 _Two lovers, forbidden from one another,_

 _the war divides their people_

 _and the mountain divides them apart!_

 _Built a path to be together-_

"Yeah, I forget the next couple of lines," Chong stopped playing as he tried to think "but then it goes:

 _Secret tunnel!_

 _Secret tunnel!_

 _Through the mountains,_

 _secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel!_

 _Yeah!_

There the song ended on a loud note, and everyone gave a small smattering applause, though Jade only did so to mask her stricken face.

It had been a long time since she'd heard anyone else sing that song. The last person to sing it to her had been her mother all those years ago back at home in her village.

 _Just keep smiling, don't ruin this fun for everyone._

Jade forced a smile as she gave a polite clap or two, glancing sidelong at Sokka who had not clapped and was folding his arms, unamused by the performance before him.

"I think we'll just stick with flying. We've dealt with the Fire Nation before. We'll be fine" he strode forwards and helped Jade shoulder her satchel as she stood to her feet.

"Yeah, thanks for the help, but Appa hates going underground." Aang gave a friendly smile as he and Katara also stood up, dusting themselves off "And we need to do whatever makes Appa most comfortable."

"Plus we get a pretty nice view of the city from the air" Jade nodded, though she had a sneaking suspicion those words would come back to bite them in the behind soon.

And sure enough, nearly an hour later…

"Secret love cave, lets go" Sokka pointed as he led the tired group forward on foot.

"Well that was a waste of time" Jade muttered as she trailed at the back of the group behind Aang and Katara, pulling Appa forward by the reins. They were all covered in ash, grime and sweat, the glorious result of their failed plan to fly over the fire nation.

It didn't help to see the Nomads reclining and chilling out under a nearby tree, unscathed and amused as they watched the group of younger travellers slouch their way back onto the main road, their faces tired and their feet dragging behind them.

* * *

 _Hi Diary, it's me again._

 _So, remember how I told you we had the brilliant idea of flying to Omashu._

 _Well that plan kinda just went up in smoke._

 _Literally._

 _As soon as we got high enough into the air the Fire Nation started launching fireballs on their catapults. Needless to say we had no choice but to return back to our hidden camp spot and make our way back to join those hippy nomads._

 _As if my life wasn't embarrassing enough._

 _*sigh*_

 _Let's just hope it doesn't get any worse._

* * *

It was mid afternoon by the time Zuko had come back from fishing. It had been a frustrating and tedious task, and in the end, all he had managed to catch was one measly little fish on his crude handmade spear, no bigger than his index finger and that was by sheer dumb luck.

Still it was better than nothing…or so he thought as he grouchily stalked back over to the spot where he'd left his uncle. The old lord was still sitting there, though oddly enough he was staring now at a bare shrub with no flower.

"Zuko remember that plant I thought might be tea?" Iroh rasped and it took all Zuko had not to face palm.

"You didn't…"

"I did…and it wasn't" Iroh turned around and Zuko literally leapt backwards a few feet in shock.

His uncle's face was half swollen and was covered in horrible red rashes. The prince was so shocked, that he even dropped his small fish on his spear.

His uncle however, was remarkably calm even as he made to explain his condition.

"When the rash spreads to my throat I will stop breathing. But look what I found!" he exclaimed excitedly as he produced a small branch loaded with bright red berries. "These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade. That, or maka'ole berries that cause blindness…"

He trailed off uncertainly, only to blink in surprise as his nephew grabbed the branch and threw it into a nearby bush.

"We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help." Zuko growled angrily.

"But where are we going to go?" Iroh asked as he leaned down to vigerously scratch his itching rash covered legs "We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom and fugitives from the Fire Nation."

"If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed." Zuko frowned thoughtfully scratching his chin.

"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula." Iroh quirked a brow at his nephew, who paused as he considered the option, though really, there really wasn't much of a choice for them.

"Earth Kingdom it is." He nodded to his uncle and they began to walk out of the clearing and into the trees.

"Now I know how Jade feels…though I bet she never had to deal with such a bad itch" Iroh mumbled to himself only to jump as his nephew turned to look at him.

"Uncle?"

"Nothing my boy. Let's get going" Iroh quickly smiled, though his face softened as he caught sight of the slightly sad gleam in the younger man's eye.

 _This is going to be a long day. Oh, now if only I would stop itching._

* * *

Jade looked about her surroundings excitedly as she and her friends, accompanied now by the small group of Nomads meandered their way down a very wide stone road, that seemed to cut through what appeared to be the remains of a great big temple. As they strolled calmly memories about her mother's bedtime stories flooded through her brain. Even though she had never seen the Kolau Mountains before, she knew almost exactly every inch of them, and if her feelings were right, the Cave of the Two Lovers was dead ahead.

"You look happy" Katara smiled as she caught sight of the older girl's face.

"I am. Very" Jade beamed, and indeed for the first time in weeks she was smiling widely. "My mom used to tell me so many stories about this place. I can't wait to see Omashu or the Shan Mountains!"

"You mean the Twins of Fortune?" Aang piped in eagerly "I've been there before. A hundred years ago, the monks used to pass through the mountains while travelling from the Eastern Air Temple down to the Southern Air Temple. That's how I met King Bumi"

"My granny lives on Shān Yùnqi, maybe you guys can come visit while you train!" Jade then suddenly quirked an eyebrow "Wait, if you're over a hundred years old, then Bumi must be pretty old right?"

"Oh yeah he is" Sokka shrugged nonchalantly "Old, and completely insane of course, but he's still one of the Greatest Earth Benders ever"

He turned back to glance at the nomads who were trapsing lazily behind them at a leisurely pace.

"So how far are we from the tunnel?"

"Actually, it's not just one tunnel. The lovers didn't want anyone to find out about their love, so they built a whole labyrinth!" Chong explained.

"Labyrinth?!" Sokka stopped dead in his tracks, face paling dramatically even as Chong casually shrugged.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll figure something out"

"All you need to do is trust in love. According" Lily smiled serenely as she passed Sokka by, missing the way he flinched and squeaked:

"CURSE?!"

"It's not really cursed is it?" Katara quietly whispered to Jade who sighed.

"I honestly don't know. But I'm sure it's not _that_ bad. History has a way of exaggerating things. It's probably just a myth that has sprung up because barely anyone can make it through the tunnels in the first pla-"

"Hey-hey! We're here!" Chong cut across her happily and they all stopped short.

They had all come up upon a great wall of rock that rose over the top of a gigantic moss and grass covered archway carved into it. Beyond the Archway was a gigantic black hole with earthy walls disappearing into it's shadowy depths. Above the arch a stone had been carved with old characters.

"The Lover's… Cave" Jade read aloud, once again grateful for her father's classical kanji lessons in her youth.

"What exactly is this curse?" Sokka scratched his chin as he sceptically eyed the ancient stone carving high above.

"The curse says that only those who trust in love can make it through the caves. Otherwise, you'll be trapped in them forever." Chong said.

"And die" his wife Lily provided oh-so-helpfully.

"Oh yeah, and die" Chong's face suddenly brightened. "Hey, I just remembered the rest of that song! _And die!_ "

He strummed his pipa dramatically.

Despite her excitement, Jade felt herself shudder a little as the sound bounced eerily off the cave walls.

Sokka likewise wasn't too happy with the performance.

"That's it! There's no way we're going through some cursed hole"

"Hey!" Moku yelled from where he had been strolling placidly at the back with Appa and his drums "Someone's making a big campfire"

There was a horrified silence as everyone turned to look in the direction Moku pointed. Sure enough, to Jade's dread, was a long line of grey smoke billowing up from beyond the horizon.

"That's no campfire Moku" Katara's eyes hardened upon the line of smoke.

"It's Fire Nation" her brother scowled grimly. "They're tracking us"

"They must've followed our footprints. The rain yesterday made the ground soft." Jade muttered darkly.

"So all you need to do is trust in love to get through these caves?" Aang glanced desperately at Chong who was tuning his pipa's strings, completely at ease with the whole situation.

"That is correct Master Arrowhead"

Jade couldn't help but smirk at the big round eyes she saw the young Avatar stare at Katara with.

 _The poor boy. Man has he got it bad._

She could almost hear her brother's voice chuckle in her head as Aang turned resolutely back to Chong.

"We can make it"

"Everyone into the hole" Sokka gestured to all of them to follow as he quickly ran into the cave entrance. Whatever fear he had of them was obviously outweighed by his fear of the Fire Nation because he wasted no time in getting over the cave threshold.

As they entered, Jade looked at the walls, in which various mythical creatures and beings had been carved expertly by skilled hands. They towered over them menacingly, all of them almost five times Appa's size and that was saying a lot as the sky bison was a huge beast already.

They had barely gone two hundred meters into the cave, the massive entrance still lighting their way behind them, when suddenly they heard something rumbling behind them.

"That'll be the tanks" Jade muttered as they all paused to look back.

"You think they'll follow us in?" Sokka asked and wasn't comforted by her gulping apprehensively.

"I don't know" she answered honestly, but that was all she had time to say.

There was a loud crashing sound and the earth trembled violently.

"Oh crap" Jade cursed as they were suddenly plunged into darkness.

She was grateful for her seismic senses as she felt her way through the darkness.

She could feel everyone shifting and groaning as they got to their feet from where some of them had fallen over.

"Is everyone Okay?" Jade called out and was met with a string of groans and grunts.

"Ooh! I think so" She heard Aang moan somewhere to her far left.

There was a loud deep whining sound from just behind Jade's back.

"I know boy, I know. You don't like the dark." Aang comforted his bison gently.

"Does anyone have a light?" Jade heard Sokka call out from somewhere on her right.

"We have torches" Lily exclaimed happily. "Here I'll get one out"

There was a rustle as someone looked through a bag, and then the sudden snap.

"Ow" Jade blinked as her eyes were suddenly assaulted by the light of a warm bright fire.

"And now we have light" Moku smiled dreamily.

 _Amazing…even after getting trapped in a cave he's still as baked as a potatoe._

Jade rolled her eyes as she leaned against a wall and sighed, only to discover that she was leaning on Appa's furry side as he scrambled against the wall of rock, desperate for a way out.

"It's okay Appa. We'll be fine. I hope" Katara pulled the bison down from the wall and patted him soothingly.

Aang meanwhile was doing what he could to tear a frightened Momo from his shoulders, for he was digging into them painfully with his claws.

"We'll be fine. All we need is a plan." Sokka sighed heavily as he turned to Chong, who had secured his torch onto the end of his pipa. "Chong, how long do hose torches last?"

"Uh…about two hours each I suppose?" Chong shrugged nonchalantly.

"And we have five torches" Lily grabbed the remaining torches from where they had fallen on the floor and quickly lit them with a flick "So that's ten hours"

"Oh spirits, give me strength" Jade pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation as Sokka stormed up to Lily and snatched the torches from her hands.

"It doesn't work like that if they're all lit at the same time!" he angrily stomped out the fire.

"Oh…right" Lily nodded as comprehension dawned slowly on her half-baked brain.

"I'm going to make a map to keep track of exactly where we've been. Then we should be able to solve it like a maze and get through." Sokka quickly dashed atop of Appa's saddle and pulled a piece of paper from his satchel before reaching for Jade's bag.

"If you want something to write with you can just ask" Jade narrowed her eyes dangerously at him and he flinched as he withdrew his hand from her bag.

"Sorry, do you-"

"Here" Jade took a small roughly hewn charcoal pencil from her pocket and handed it to him as he hopped off the bison's back.

"Thanks. Now let's get out of here"

* * *

The village medical centre was quiet and peaceful by the time that Iroh and Zuko made it there.

Iroh in particular was quite pleased when a rather pretty young woman offered to tend to his various rashes. Thankfully they were not in any embarrassing places, so she was quick to apply a soothing balm over the raw red patches.

"You two must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the White Jade, much less make it into tea and drink it." She gently slapped at Iroh's hand as he reached up to scratch at the arm she was applying salve to.

"Whoops!" he smiled anxiously through a half swollen and very red face.

His nephew simply rolled his eyes as he sat moodily on the bench nearby, hat drawn low over his face to cover his scar. He'd already had the local doctor offer to have a look at it and he wasn't sure he could face any more shame today.

He felt his ears burn as a memory washed over his brain.

 _"My scar. It doesn't disgust you?"_

 _A pair of green eyes blinked up innocently at him._

 _"Uh…No…should it?"_

 _Stop it! Stop thinking about her!_

He shook his head out, just in time to hear the healer girl smile sweetly as she asked.

"So where are you travelling from?"

"Yes we're travellers" Zuko blurted out as he leapt to his feet, cursing his awkwardness. But the girl just patiently smiled.

"Do you have names?"

"Names? Of course we have names." Zuko forced a chuckle, his mind whirring wildly for an idea "I'm Lee, and this is my uncle uh…Mushi"

He trailed off, feeling terrible. He'd used the name Lee before while on Zhao's ship in disguise. It was a fairly common name so many often let it slide. But Mushi was one of the privates from his old ship's crew, a rather stupid bumbling forgetful man with a slight lisp. Needless to say Iroh was not pleased with his cover name even as he slyly smirked.

"Yes my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior"

"Mushi and Junior huh?" the girl smiled, missing the way Zuko silently snarled and sliced a finger dangerously over his neck in warning, only to quickly put it away as she turned to face him. "My name is Song. You two look like you could use a good meal. Why don't you stay for dinner?"

 _Dinner…_

The thought almost made Zuko's stomach explode with happiness. He hadn't eaten a proper meal since they'd run away from Azula-

 _No don't get side tracked. It could be a trap._

"Sorry, but we need to be moving on" he avoided her eye, hating the way she smiled innocently up at him, the same way _someone else's_ had done so often before…

"That's too bad" Song's eyes softened sadly "My mom always makes too much roast duck"

Now the ache in Zuko's stomach matched the one in his chest. Couldn't he ever catch a break?

He was about to refuse point blank, but his uncle was swift to beat him to the chase.

"Where do you live exactly?"

 _Typical Uncle, thinking with his stomach._

Zuko sighed under his breath in defeat as he quickly looked out the window.

The day was bright, clear and peaceful outside. Spring was on the way and if they were lucky they'd live to see a warm summer ahead.

Despite his attempts not to, the banished prince couldn't help but think:

 _I wonder if she's doing okay?_

* * *

"Oh no, not another one" Jade groaned as she and the group stopped straight in front of yet another wall of rock.

They had been wandering around for three hours. Already the first of the torches had just died out on them and they were almost halfway through the second.

"Sokka this is the tenth dead end you've led us to" Katara tried to reason with her brother, who stubbornly refused to let go of his rather crudely drawn map, that looked more like a bunch of random squiggles across the page.

"This doesn't make sense. We already came through this way. See there's the marker Jade put in that rock"

He pointed to a nearby wall in which there was a slender petite handprint embossed into one of the rocks.

"Huh? I was wondering why this looked so familiar" Jade frowned as she examined her handiwork.

"We don't need a map" Chong waved Sokka off as he passed him by "We just need love. The little guy knows it"

He looked at Aang, who gave a sheepish smile.

"Yeah…but I wouldn't mind a map also"

"This is so weird. The last time we were here we didn't take a right turn. Heck I think there was only a way bending left if I remember correctly." Jade pointed to the direction where they had come and sure enough they looked back and saw a path leading off to the right alongside the original path they had taken before.

"There's something strange here" Sokka frowned as he looked between the wall and the tunnel "There's only one explanation…the tunnels are changing."

There was a silence as everyone stared at Sokka dumbfounded.

The tunnels were changing?!

It sounded absolutely absurd and yet…

 _And yet it explains so much._

Jade sucked in a sharp breath as she thought hard. As they had wandered through the dark she had thought she had felt the ground move and shake around her. Of course being an earth bender she was more sensitive to such sensations than the others, and just thought that she was merely feeling the insides of the mountain.

She hadn't been wrong. She'd just assumed that the mountain was stationary when in fact it was pretty much alive and kicking…or rather changing.

 _But that's okay._

She took a deep breath to steady herself.

 _It's okay. Now that I know the problem I can use my seismic sense to help work this out. Yeah, if I can feel where the new tunnels are, I can earth bend us towards them and help get us out of her-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Chong's frantic shouts as they pierced straight through one ear, through her brain cavity and out the other side.

"The tunnels, they're a-changin'. It must be the curse! I knew we shouldn't have come down here!"

"Right, if only we listened to you" Sokka folded his arms sarcastically, only to be quickly shushed by his sister.

"Everyone be quiet. Listen"

Everyone fell silent, ears pricking nervously for the slightest sound.

Then they heard it.

A soft snarling.

It made the hair on the back of Jade's neck stand on end to hear it.

There was a frightened squeaky chirrup from Momo as he flew terrified, from where he had perched himself on Sokka's shoulders.

Undaunted, Sokka bravely held up the torch to the shadows where the snarling sound was coming from, only to jump with a shriek as something large and hairy, swooped down over him.

"look out!" Jade cried out as the giant shadow swooped down on the rest of them from on high.

"It's a giant flying thing with teeth!" Chong yelped as the thing landed with a snarl on four canine like paws.

"No! it's a wolf-bat!" Moku yelled as the leaf nosed red eyed creature bared its sharp toothed ugly mouth at them.

Quickly it leapt into the air to avoid a rock Jade had earth bended its way, only to give a shrill shriek as Sokka branded his torch at it, warding it off with the light and heat.

It did the trick of keeping the monstrous wolf-bat at bay, only to send cinders flying in every direction, one landing on poor Appa's toes.

The Sky Bison roared with pain as his skin was burned, thrashing this way and that, smashing into the walls of the tunnel in his terror.

His massive thuds with his feet scared the wolf bat away, only to dislodge a lot of rock from the walls and stone pillars that supported the rocky ceiling above their heads.

There was a massive rumbling and a cloud of dust as one of the columns split into several large chunks, which began to fall heavily from the ceiling, rocks and boulders raining down on all of them.

With a great push of air, Aang used his airbending to push Sokka, Jade and the nomads out of the way of one massive wedge of stone, before launching himself at Katara, who had been about to get crushed by another piece herself.

There was a loud crash and a roar as Appa quickly tugged on the clothes of Aang and Katara pulling them both out of the way before they could get hit by any more debris.

However, the worst of the damage was already done.

"AANG! KATARA!" Sokka yelled as he rushed to the giant wall of rock and stone that separated him from his sister and his friends-wait that's right Jade! She could earth bend them out.

"Jade!" Sokka called only for his eyes to widen in panic as he caught sight of a petite body in green laying a few feet away on the ground, surrounded by the nomads, who looked down on her worriedly as they checked her over.

After a couple of heart stopping seconds Chong straightened up and said:

"It's okay. She's just knocked out."

"But-but-the wall!" Sokka waved his arms between Jade and the wall. "She can earth bend! Quick wake her up so she can get us out!"

"We're trying. But she's really out cold" Moku shook his head as he and Lily gently tried to slap the unconscious girl's cheeks.

"Yeah, it's no use" Chong shrugged nonchalant in spite of their desperate circumstances "we're separated. But at least you have us" he waggled his eyebrows as he grinned.

Sokka's face paled to the colour of chalk.

It was one thing to be separated from Aang and Katara and for his last hope of escape currently unconscious, but having to spend what were possibly the last moments of his life surrounded by a bunch of hippy singing nomads while trapped underground…

"NOOOO!"

* * *

A narrow pair of snake like eyes swept over the entrance of the great archway in the dark of the night, over the large boulders that now blocked the entrance to what had once been a mighty chasm.

 _Trust the fire nation to make this even more difficult._

Their owner snorted as he drew out a thin bony hand from the depths of his robes. It was so pale that almost glowed white in the moonlight above even as fire blossomed in the outstretched palm.

"So…this is the hole you choose to hide in?" he hissed into the dark, thin lip curling under the hood of his cloak as he raised is flame higher to illuminate the top of the ruined archway.

"The Cave of Two lovers. Why my little Lucky Jade, you certainly are adventurous."

The lips curved into a sneer and the snake like eyes flashed in the light of his flame.

"Now…where to find the exit..."

* * *

 **Hi guys! Gotta say it's good to be back. I was looking at the stats for this fic and i still can't believe there's over 100 follows/faves even after barely a couple of chapters in. I'm seriously touched :')**

 **Sorry it took me so long to update. Life and work have both been full on and hectic and I had writers block for this fic because i was tired. But now i'm back in the game. don't worry the next part shouldn't take me too long to upload (hopefully).**

 **I thought i'd take the chance to explore Jade's character a little more, especially her mischievous more relaxed side. She's still grieving for her parents but she's slowly coming out of her shell a bit now she's with the Gaang. As for when she and Zuko will meet again, not quite sure how that's going to go (i got plans but i'm still working out the kinks in them), but hopefully you guys will enjoy what comes next.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed and please keep reading and reviewing for more.**

 **Till next time.**

 **Cheers**

 **Fuzzybeta**


	5. 4 - The Cave of Two Lovers Part 2

**Chapter 4: The Cave of Two Lovers Part 2**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _You would not believe the day I've had._

 _I've met smoked out nomads, been chased and trapped in a giant dark labyrinth under a mountain, where I got knocked out by a cave-in._

 _Travelling with the avatar is proving to be just as hectic as travelling with Zuko and that's saying A LOT considering my track record._

 _Just how many times have I been knocked out in the past few months? Let's see; there was the Avalanche at the south pole, my uncle kidnapping me on the winter solstice, then it was…hmm…was it Kira's attack? No! It was the pirates! Then the kidnapping then….uh…crap I've lost count._

 _Anyways I think you get the point. My head has been through so many knocks that I can't even begin to count them all._

 _I'm getting pretty tired of waking up with a headache and a lump on the back of my head._

* * *

"Oww…" Jade winced as her ears were suddenly attacked by the sound of out of tune singing and lots of strings were strumming, drums rolling and a flute blowing close by her ear.

She appeared to be floating in the middle of all this cacophony.

"Oh thank spirits you're up." she heard Sokka mutter from somewhere very close.

It was then she noticed that her entire body was not floating but being carried on Sokka's back piggyback style.

All around them the nomads were singing and playing their instruments, the sounds of which bounced loudly off the walls and into her aching head.

"Good grief, how long have I been out?" Jade yawned as Sokka slowly let her down on her feet only to freeze as she didn't see a bald head with a blue arrow, or a girl dressed all in blue.

"Wait? Where's Aang and Katara?" she spluttered quickly looking around, all tiredness forgotten in the wake of sudden fear.

"We got separated. The tunnel collapsed when that viper bat attacked us. Aang and Katara were on the other side. We've been trying to find our way out for two hours."

"TWO HOURS?!" Jade cried out eyes wide as saucers "Why didn't you wake me up? I might've been able to Earth bend through the barrier."

"We tried to wake you up! But you weren't responding to anything!" Sokka rolled his eyes "Seriously! You didn't even wake up with all this racket!"

"Huh? who's making what racket?" Chong grinned serenely back from where he was lazily sauntering at the head of their company, all the while strumming his pipa.

"Your music. Sokka said you were playing it to wake me up" Jade frowned only to cough as Moku passed her by, his breath smelling sickly sweet with blue poppy weed.

"We were? I thought we were playing for fun."

"He-ey! Good idea! Let's play something fun!" Chong laughed, and the rest of his troupe cheered.

"Give me that" Sokka snapped as he snatched a lit torch that had been in the hands of one of the nomads who had started dancing around with it as her leader began to sing.

"Oh, don't let the cave-in get you down!" Chong sang as Jade and Sokka quickly did their best to ignore the loud clanging of Moku's drum behind them.

"Don't let the falling rocks turn your smile into a frown! When the tunnels are darkest, that's when you need a clown, hey!"

Jade winced as a string twanged close to her ear as Chong sidled up to Sokka, grinning widely.

"Don't let the cave-in get you down, Sokkaaaa!"

"See what I have to put up with," Sokka muttered darkly to Jade who scowled in agreement.

"Is it wrong that I wish the Wolf-bat had eaten them?"

 _Spirits, I hope Aang and Katara are having more luck than us._

* * *

Aang looked around the tunnel glumly. It had been an hour since, he, Katara and Appa had been separated from Jade, Momo and Sokka and so far all they'd managed to find were dead ends or more tunnels.

Appa grunted anxiously as the walls came closer together around them.

"I know buddy, I know, you don't like it down here." Aang petted his bison's fur soothingly.

"Don't worry we'll find a way out?" Katara said, trying her best to sound cheerful, even though she wasn't looking too hopeful.

 _We only have two torches on us, and one's already half gone._

She sighed as she led them around another bend with the torch, only to cry out in excitement as she saw what looked to be a stone doorway dead ahead in the dim torchlight.

"Aang look!"

"We found the exit" Aang grinned rushing over to the door.

But no matter how hard they both pushed and pulled it, it would not budge.

There was a growling snort, and both youths stood back as Appa charged for the stone slab, slamming his hard horned head right into it.

Katara and Aang both winced as with a hard smash the round door fell backwards with a resounding thud, leaving a large circular hole in the wall.

Carefully they jumped through it, holding up their torch to light their path.

Only it wasn't a path.

It was a vast stone chamber, with what appeared to be an altar set far below at the bottom of a steep drop. There next to the wall farthest away from them, they could see what appeared to be stone effigies of a man and woman laying side by side on the altar.

"This isn't the exit." Katara breathed, her face paling as she looked over the whole room.

"No." Aang agreed grimly "It's a tomb"

* * *

Prince Zuko, sat outside the cottage as silently and as still as stone. His belly was properly full for the first time in weeks and he was clean, all thanks to the compassion of the kind healer girl Song and her gentle mother.

He had been on his best behaviour all evening, staying quiet and letting his uncle do most of the talking, and the eating on their behalf. Occasionally he would enter into conversation, but it would only be for short intervals, or when a question was directed at him pointedly.

Despite being grateful for the hospitality, Zuko couldn't help but feel resentful to the young teen. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with her per say, indeed she was a very kind and lovely person, one whom Zuko normally would've not minded being around.

But he couldn't help but feel his chest ache whenever he looked into those kind eyes. For every time he did, he couldn't help but remember an equally kind and tender pair of jade green eyes staring back at him.

 _Jade, she must be far away in the Earth Kingdom by now._

He fingered the green stone pendant that he cradled in his palms that rested over his crossed legs.

He missed her soft touch, her warm smile, her sharp wit. He missed her scowl, the way she'd chew her cheek when she thought hard about something, how she had to stand on tiptoe to reach up to the top shelf of her kitchen pantry. Yet just as much as he missed all these things, so too did he hate them for the way they had made him feel.

He didn't want to feel. Feeling got in the way of doing what he had to. Emotions just got in the way of surviving.

There was a click as a door opened onto the balcony, and Song stepped through, looking worried.

"May I join you?"

She took his silence to mean yes and bravely took a step forward.

"I know what you've been through. We've all been through it." She sat down beside him, glancing sadly at the scar over his left eye.

"The Fire Nation has hurt you."

Zuko caught her hand before she could touch the burnt skin but did so gently. She was a healer, after all, it was only natural she'd be drawn to such a mark if just to make sure it was alright.

Understanding his need for space, she looked down into her lap solemnly.

"It's okay." She murmured sympathetically as she drew up one of her legs and pulled back one of the legs of her pants.

Zuko stiffened at the sudden move, only to gaze in shock as he caught sight of the red scars that licked her calf and lower knee.

As she covered the marks quickly with her pant again, he couldn't help but notice that the scars were far older than his own over his eye, for they had stretched in certain parts where her body had grown taller. From the looks of it, she must have been only a little girl when she had gotten the mark.

A little girl…a soldier of his nation had viciously burnt an innocent little girl?!

He knew that the war was brutal and that the soldiers of his nation could be rough and ruthless in their actions. To see such a horrific mark mar the leg of someone so kind and gentle as Song was like being punched in the gut and getting the air knocked out of him.

 _"what's it to her if we attack the village?"_

 _"Because they are also people. People with lives."_

 _"They're enemies of the fire nation, and they must be treated as such"_

He felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe he had said something that horrible.

He couldn't believe he had almost done something that horrible.

He was glad his uncle came to join him and Song at that moment because he wasn't sure he had the strength or courage to even say another word to her.

* * *

Jade could feel her patience wearing _very_ thin as the nomadic nuisances (as she had labelled them in her head) finally decided to play something quiet as they took a break from singing and dancing.

"So if my maps are correct we should be heading back along the way we came. We'll reach the barrier, and then you'll earth bend us through to find Aang and Katara."

"I just hope you're right" Jade mumbled as she tried to feel around with her seismic sense in the darkening light. "These tunnels are confusing to me. And I can earth bend."

"But can't you like, sense where we are in the mountain or something? Like couldn't you sense where it ends and begins with your bending?" Lily slurred a little, tilting her head to the side curiously.

"As I said, _three_ times before, it all depends on the size of the object in question." Jade groaned irritably, forcing herself to keep her already fraying temper in check "the ship I travelled on was just a small frigate, and this is a really huge mountain. All I know is, that we are probably somewhere deep in the middle because I can't even sense an end in sight."

"Still you can see something, and that's well, something" Sokka held out the torch for her to take hold of while he brought out his map again. "We should be coming up on the barrier pretty…soon…" he trailed off as they came up upon a gigantic wall of rock.

Jade thudded her hand against one of the stones only to shake her head with a heavy sigh.

"Nope! I got nothing. Nothing behind this but rocks and more rocks"

"Great" Sokka glared at his map just as Moku flung his hands up in exasperation, a sure sign that he was coming down from his previous opium filled high.

"Oh, great! Your plans have led us to _another_ dead end!"

"At least I'm _thinking_ of ideas and trying to get us out of here, _Moku"_ Sokka glowered accusingly at Moku.

"Whoa, keep calm and hold your ostrich-horses guys." Jade held Sokka back by the shoulders as Chong frowned in confusion.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. We're thinking of ideas? Because I've had an idea for, like, an hour now."

"Yes! We're all thinking of ideas!" Jade ducked as Sokka's arms flailed out dramatically in his frustration.

Chong, however, was not phased as he shrugged.

"Well, then listen to this: If love is the key out of here, then all we need to do is play a love song!"

There was the familiar plucking of strings and the blowing of flutes filled the air.

"Oh no, please, not more singing?!" Jade pinched the bridge of her nose as Sokka facepalmed.

This was just getting out of hand.

"Let's just get a move on"

They left the dead end and began to walk back down the way they came.

As they turned another bend Sokka suddenly was struck by a thought.

"Hey, Jade."

"Hmm?" Jade grunted moodily as she tried and failed to ignore the music around them.

"What happened in the Tale of the two lovers?"

"What you mean the ones that made this cave?" Jade blinked and Sokka nodded.

"Yeah. I mean I know it's an old legend but maybe there is something in the original story that might help us get out of here, something that _isn't_ music perhaps." he added glowering as Lily danced around them and ahead.

"I don't know. What Chong said about _Love leading the way_ was kinda the moral of the story" Jade scratched her head. "It's generally about two forbidden lovers from warring villages, who learned earth bending to make a tunnel they could use to be together. Then the guy of the couple dies and the woman goes nuts and frightens their villages into stopping the war with her earth bending. She then teaches them how to earth bend and they make the city of Omashu. That's pretty much the whole story in a nutshell."

"And there was nothing in that story that said anything about getting out of the cave?" Sokka scowled and Jade shook her head.

"Not from what I remember. My mom used to tell me this story when I was a kid and she always used to say that the lovers could always find one another because their love was always brightest in the dark, whatever that means" she added, rolling her eyes.

"It means oh little lady, that love always finds a way even through a tunnel as dark as this" Chong smirked as he began to sing loudly in her ear.

"Even if you're lost, you can't lose the love because it's in your heart-"

Both Jade and Sokka face palmed in unison.

These nomads were really getting on their nerves now.

 _Aang, Katara, where are you?!_

* * *

"How are we going to find our way out of these tunnels?" Aang looked up at the tall statue that lay just behind the two stone sarcophagi of the Two lovers.

It was of a man and a woman both kissing, with old Kanji engraved between them saying " _Love is brightest in the dark_ "

It was at this piece of text that had Katara blushing even as she held up a light to examine it.

"I have a crazy idea."

"What?" Aang cocked his head curiously as her blush made her face turn bright red.

"Never mind. It's too crazy."

"Katara what is it?" Aang's brow furrowed as deep worry set in. what could she possibly be thinking about that would make her so uncomfortable?

"So…" Katara gulped, avoiding his eye "I was thinking ... the curse says we'll be trapped in here forever unless we trust in love ..."

"Right…" Aang quirked a brow, not sure he was following her train of thought.

"And here, it says, _"Love is brightest in the dark,"_ and has a picture of them kissing." Katara pointed up to the statues, blushing even darker still, even though Aang was looking completely lost by now.

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well…" she flushed shyly "What if we kissed?"

"Us…kissing?" Aang blinked. He certainly hadn't expected _that_ idea.

"See? It was a crazy idea" Katara looked down to the ground, cursing herself and feeling immensely awkward now. Trust her to say something so ridiculous. She was so embarrassed that she didn't notice the dreamy look that had spread over Aang's face as he smiled to himself:

"Us… _Kissing_ "

"Us Kissing, pff!" she tried to snort with fake laughter, doing her best to sound as sarcastic as her brother could be even as she continued to blush "What was I thinking? Can you imagine that"

"Oh-yeah!" Aang awkwardly laughed as he snapped himself out of his rather happy reverie "I definitely wouldn't want to kiss you"

There was a very embarrassed pause as Katara's eyes widened in indignation.

"Oh, well! I didn't realize it was such a horrible option. Sorry I suggested it!" She spat angrily, turning her back on him.

"No-no!" Aang spluttered as he realized his blunder only too late "I mean, if there was a choice between kissing you and dying-"

"AGH!" Katara huffed with disgust and indignation and Aang's eyes widened desperately as he scrambled to fix his second mistake on top of his first.

"What? I'm saying I'd rather kiss you than die – that's a compliment"

"Well I'm not sure which I would rather do!" Katara stomped her foot and stormed off, slamming the torch into his hand as she roughly shouldered past him.

"What is wrong with me?" Aang sighed as he took the torch, wishing that either Jade or Sokka were there with them.

They'd both been in love before. They'd know what to do to fix this mess. He could only hope they'd find one another before he screwed up anything more down here in this tomb.

* * *

"Thank you for the duck, it was excellent" Iroh smiled warmly at Song and her middle-aged mother who smiled warmly as they both bowed respectfully to one another, the latter handing the ex-general a couple of tightly bound food packages.

"You're welcome. It brings me pleasure to see someone eat my cooking with such ... gusto."

"Much practice" Iroh chuckled only to turn sharply as Zuko silently began to walk away "Junior, where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people."

"Thank you." Zuko turned and bowed his head low, hoping his hat obscured his guilty, ashamed face from them, before turning away again.

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world" Song called out before he could reach the gate "But there is hope. The Avatar has returned."

"I know" Zuko spat bitterly as he stopped at the gate, hand gripping hard at the wood as he remembered bitterly, the bald blue tattooed head of the young airbender.

That boy, the reason for all his suffering, his struggle.

 _If only he'd never existed._

He snarled in his head, noticing briefly through the corner of his eye that Song and her mother had gone back inside their house.

He heard a snuffling nearby and glanced over to the large strong ostrich horse that stood out in front of a small stable, nickering as it pecked at its feed scattered on the ground.

"What are you doing?" his uncle hissed as he untied the steed from it's post. "these people just showed you great kindness."

"They're about to show us a little more kindness. Well?" Zuko spat, doing ignoring the voices at the back of his head that were roaring at him to stop.

But he squashed them all down.

No. It was too slow and too dangerous for him and his uncle to continue to travel on foot with his sister chasing after them.

Seeming to come to the same conclusion, Iroh sighed, his face disappointed as he reluctantly hopped on the back of the large sturdy creature behind his nephew, neither of them noticing, the sad tears of Song as she watched them through the crack in her front door.

* * *

Jade's stomach warbled loudly.

 _Damn it! Shut up! shut up!_

She cursed herself, doing her best to squash down the pangs of hunger that were creeping up on her now. Sokka likewise was clutching at his stomach as it gave an audible gurgle that was quickly masked by the twanging and blowing of musical instruments around them.

The music had not stopped, not since Chong had the bright idea of playing a lullaby.

Jade was so sick of hearing him strum those same three damn cords repeatedly, that she was seriously considering just grabbing his pipa and smashing it over the top of his head. HARD.

They had just about reached a rather large cavernous pathway when their ears were assaulted by another sound.

A very different sound.

The sound of animals shrieking and snarling.

Momo leapt from Sokka's shoulders in fright as he scurried towards a wall and they all turned around in the dark.

Suddenly Jade wished she had the music back.

For right there behind them, a whole pack of wolf-bats were dashing and swooping their way out of the darkness, their red eyes and sharp teeth gleaming horribly in the flickering light of their torch.

"everyone duck" she called out as the winged creatures flew shrieking about their heads.

Everyone leapt down to the ground, all save Sokka who hadn't ducked in time and was doing his best to shield his face from the onslaught of passing wings and claws.

Then as suddenly as it had started, the wolfbats were gone.

"He-ey! You saved us Sokka!" Chong cheered happily as Sokka helped Jade stand from where she had hit the deck.

"No, they were trying to get away from something!"

"From what?" Chong frowned.

"Something big" Jade gulped, her face paling as she tapped her hand on the ground. Yet even as she raised it to tap again, something massive smashed through the wall behind them.

"Is…is that a badger-mole?" Jade gasped as a giant furry creature with brown fur, milky white eyes and a white stripe extending from noes to the end of a long bushy tail suddenly emerged from the cloud of dust. It was humungous, nearly three times the size of Appa, or perhaps bigger because each of its large clawed paws was about the height of a tall man.

It clapped its paws together, just as another crash sounded behind them.

Jade's eyes were wide with shock as a second Badgermole with a slightly thinner white stripe suddenly appeared, its large black nose sniffing the air eagerly before turning to its partner.

The ground trembled as both of them smashed their front paws down against the earth, which shook violently as a massive wall erected itself between the nomads and her and Sokka who fell backwards as a massive claw landed close to where he'd been standing.

He flew backwards with a cry of pain landing hard on the earthy ground as the badger-moles continued to advance on him.

"Sokka!" Jade cried out as he scrambled back away from another smashing paw, only for his fingers to come into contact with the strings of Chong's fallen pipa.

A musical note rang throughout the tunnel, cutting through every single rumble and quake.

There was silence as Sokka looked up at the massive beast before him. Surprised by the sudden sound it had stopped to cock its head to the side, pricking its ear for more of the sound.

Seeing it's apparent confusion, Sokka quickly grabbed the instrument and began strumming one string frantically. He had no idea what he was doing but he hoped by the spirits it would work.

"Hey, these things are music lovers!" Chong cried out in excitement as Sokka reluctantly began singing in a slightly off-key monotone:

"Badger-moles, coming toward me. Come on guys help me out"

He stared desperately at Jade and the Nomads, the latter of whom picked up their remaining instruments and quickly began playing as Chong began singing again.

"The big, bad badgermoles who earthbend the tunnels, hate the wolfbats, but love the sounds!"

"You've got to be kidding me" Jade facepalmed again, this time smiling in relief as the badger moles looked down on the lot of them, their tempers sated. They were surprisingly gentle as they leaned forward to sniff at these new noisy oddities in their caves.

Jade jumped as she felt one of their noses nudge at her back, she turned to face it and was met with a staring pair of milky white eyes.

 _Are they blind?_

She frowned as she stared at the great beasts' face.

 _That's why they love the sounds, they can't see so they use their other senses like touch and sound to guide them and help them earth bend._

It was incredible, it was…genius!

 _I can't believe it! I'm this close to a freaking live wild badgermole!_

She held up a hand, feeling the badger mole's hot breath blow over her skin as she carefully reached over and touched her fingertips to its snout. At first, the creature stiffened, but then upon sensing her touch was friendly, gently nudged its nose into her palm. It was cool and wet, much like a dog's nose and yet so much larger.

Badgermoles. The first earthbenders, the creatures her mother had so often told her about in her bedtime stories right here in front of her. And there were two of them.

She just wished that…

She felt her eyes burn, as liquid salt began to fall from her eyes.

"Hey, Jay-ade are you oka-aye!" Sokka sang awkwardly as he walked over to her, still badly strumming his instrument.

"I…It's fine…" she felt her heart leap up into her throat as she scrubbed the tears away quickly "It's nothing. I'm just amazed. I mean, we're in the Cave of Two Lovers meeting two wild badgermoles…"

She stared at those milky white eyes and for a split second, she thought she saw a two familiar faces staring out at her from each of the eyes. One a gentle-faced woman's with long brown hair and warm green eyes, the other a stern man's face with piercing amber brown eyes.

 _Mom…dad…I miss you so much…I wish you were here to see this_

She sniffled, reaching up to the collar of her tunic where she could feel the green and white lotus tile sitting upon her breast as it was tied to a string around her neck.

She let her eyes shut as the badgermole nudged its head forwards to press the flat top of its head against her.

It was a strangely affectionate gesture, and Jade vaguely wondered if it could sense her sadness even as she made to hug its head.

Its body heat was warm and comforting, just like her mother's had been. She could even feel the ghosts of her arms as they wrapped around her, strong and firm…

Wait a moment her mother had small hands, not large ones.

She paused as she opened her eyes and saw that Sokka was standing beside her.

He had stopped playing his instrument, not needing to keep singing as Chong and his group continued to play loudly in the background and put a hand around her shoulders squeezing them tightly.

"It's okay. I understand." He murmured softly giving her a small sympathetic smile as they pulled away, the first one in fact since they'd set out that morning.

"Thank you" Jade smiled, wiping her eyes as they both turned back to look at the Badgermole who was now turning away to face the new source of the music.

And indeed, even as she rolled her eyes at the ridiculous tune the nomads had begun playing, Jade couldn't help but feel the hole in her chest shrink ever so slightly smaller than it was before.

* * *

 _So that's how we eventually got out of the caves. We used our strange and VERY annoying companions music to good use and managed to get the badgermoles to earth bend us back out to safety._

 _I have to admit I was surprised they let us ride on their backs. I'd have thought wild badgermoles wouldn't be that trusting of humans. Then again if they could teach the lovers Oma and Shu to earthbend then I suppose they must have some tolerance of us, if only because they know they could squash us like grapes under their paws._

 _And speaking of a pair of star-crossed lovers…_

* * *

The light around Aang, Katara and Appa were dimming faster than ever even as they walked through a doorway on the other side of the Tomb of the Two Lovers.

They had been wandering around in silence, their hope diminishing with each passing second as their torch now burned its way down to its final couple of minutes.

"We're going to run out of light any second now aren't we?" Aang mumbled hopelessly.

"I think so" Katara's eyes fell sadly to the floor as she turned around to face him.

"Then what can we do?" Aang looked up desperately.

"What _can_ we do?" Katara reached out for his hand.

They gazed into each other's faces, both fearful and yet happy. Even if they were doomed to be trapped in the dark forever, at least they had one another.

They leaned in, entranced by the way the last of their torchlight made their eyes glimmer even as it sputtered and died, plunging them into darkness.

Even in the pitch black, Aang could feel Katara's hand still wrapped tightly around his and leaned into her touch, savouring the warmth she radiated. The same warmth that had enveloped him all those months ago when he'd first been released from the ice-

Something glimmered along the edge of his vision and he heard Katara gasp.

They both looked up.

"Whoa…" Aang breathed in wonder.

There high above them, twinkling to life, were many bright crystals, each one seeming to glow with its own light. Like stars reflected in a dark river, they shimmered along the roof of the great tunnel, illuminating a long winding path that led deep beyond their line of sight.

"They're made from some kind of crystal." Aang smiled in amazement as he looked at the amazing sight above "they must only light up in the dark.

"That's how the two lovers found each other. They just put out their lights and followed the crystals" Katara exclaimed excitedly as she squinted hard at the long illuminated path.

If she narrowed her eyes enough she could just make out a tiny speck of light, no bigger than a tiny pebble.

"That must be the way out!" she pulled a surprised Aang in for a brief hug, letting him go before he could even get his apology out:

"So…uh…"

"Let's go!" she ran towards the exit leaving the young boy to shake his head and smile as he followed swiftly after her.

Within ten minutes of following the path, their eyes were suddenly assaulted by the bright light of day. Or rather it was late afternoon, for the sun was already hanging low over the western horizon.

Upon catching sight of the fresh air and wide open space, Appa flew outside, promptly flinging himself on his large hairy back, tongue lolling contentedly as he grunted happily.

"Wait! What about Sokka?" Aang and Katara both turned back to the Cave exit eyes wide with worry, only to wince as two giant slabs of rock suddenly fell away from two points on either side of the tunnel mouth.

They shielded their eyes as the dust and debris flew around them, their eyes widening with joy as they beheld the sight that met them.

"Sokka! Jade!"

It was two large badgermoles, each one bearing people on their backs. One beast carried the five singing nomads, while on the back of the other Sokka sat with Jade holding onto his waist from behind.

They both waved as they quickly dismounted their gigantic steed, Momo flying out from where he had been perched on Jade's shoulders. He landed in front of Appa, chittering excitedly at the bison as if recounting the tales of his adventures in the cave, his giant friend grunting patiently at him.

Meanwhile back on the ground, Sokka was hugging his sister tight, the sight making Jade's heart clench a little as she watched.

But the ache was short lived as she too was hugged tightly by Aang.

"How did you guys get out?" Sokka grinned as they all pulled apart to face one another.

"Just like the legend said, we let love lead the way" Aang shrugged, smiling sheepishly as Jade quirked an amused brow at him.

"Oh really?" she smirked teasingly, giggling as she playfully nudged his bald head.

"Yeah, we let huge, ferocious beasts lead our way" Sokka looked back towards the giant badgermole that they had ridden on as it nudged at Jade's back.

She quickly turned back to it smiling as with shut eyes she, rested her palm and her forehead against its brow.

"Thank you" she murmured softly into its fur.

The great beast gave a rumbling purr as it pulled away to join its mate in plodding back to the stone tunnels they had earth bent.

As they left all the humans turned to wave, and Jade couldn't help but feel a little sad to see them go.

After all, it wasn't every day you befriended a gigantic cave-dwelling creature.

 _Shen would've done his nut in if he could've seen this._

She smiled despite her blues, only for her expression to fall as Katara asked:

"uh, …why are your foreheads red?"

Even as she finished asking this, Chong sidled up to Sokka and Jade who both scowled in exasperation as he whispered loudly.

"Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you: I think that kid might be the Avatar!"

"By the spirits" Jade sighed as she and Sokka both facepalmed in unison yet again, making the angry red marks on their foreheads even larger.

 _Thank spirits I was with Aang. How these two managed to last with these crazy guys is beyond anything I could ever dream._

Katara smirked as she glanced over to where Aang was bidding the other Nomads a warm goodbye.

"-So are you guys going to come to Omashu with us?"

"Nope," Moku said bluntly with a serene smile.

But Aang wasn't fussed. After all both Sokka and Jade looked ready to kill the Nomads even as they danced over to put flower chains around their necks.

"Now Sokka, Jade, I hope you learned a little something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey."

He hugged both together, Jade squirming uncomfortably while Sokka grumbled grouchily, his cheeks flushing pink.

"Just play your songs"

"He-ey! Good plan!" Chong grinned and at once he leapt off the two of them and began strumming his strings once more.

"Even if you're lost, you can't lose the love because it's in your heart. Da, da, da ..."

Aang, Katara, Jade and Sokka all watched as the small troupe of singing nomads bobbed away down the path that branched off the side of the mountain.

As they did so, Aang chanced a small glance at Katara who blushed. Behind them, Jade and Sokka both sighed and smiled in relief.

Finally, they'd have a break from all that singing.

* * *

The shadow watched from behind a rock as the four young teens and their pets made camp at the exit of the Cave of the two lovers.

It was night time, the sun had not set barely an hour after they had escaped the caves. They'd been so tired by their ordeal that they had decided to rest there on the flat plain in front of the caves for the night, before continuing their journey to Omashu in the morning.

 _So…they'll make the rest of the journey on foot._

The slithering shadow smiled as he listened in from the shadowy branches of a nearby tree.

Yes…travelling by foot would make his tracking them much easier.

 _Now…how to get the little brat alone…_

He sneered, licking his lips as he looked at his target, a young girl with short brown hair and bright jade green eyes.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today's the day we FINALLY make it to Omashu. We would've finished the journey yesterday, but we were just so tired from our adventures in the cave of two lovers that we just passed out last night and didn't wake up until late this morning._

 _I've just finished packing the last of my things and I'm waiting for the others (namely Sokka because he's the latest to rise out of all of us, surprise, surprise) to finish packing their things._

 _Speaking of travelling, I wonder how my brother's going with his travels._

 _Has he found his master yet? Has he even made it into the Earth Kingdom? Is he safe?_

 _I remember father warning me about the Horse and the Snake in his letter. But what are the Horse and the Snake? Are they people? Assassins like the golem? Whatever they are I only hope they haven't found him yet._

 _Shen, oh I hope you'll be safe…_

"Thank you for the safe passage, sir," a young man said he stepped out onto the docks.

He was a tall young man, strongly built and wearing a brown tunic and pants. His skin was pale, or at least half his skin was pale. For there over the whole right side of his head, neck, shoulder and upper pectoral were very severe and very dark burn scars. He was quick to settle an eye patch over his right eye, which was milky white, a stark contrast to his good eye which was a bright warm amber brown. His dark brown/black hair was shaved off over the burnt half of his face, but long on the left side and tied in a side ponytail that fell over his shoulder.

He gave a friendly smile to the ship's skipper, a slightly stout water tribe fisherman, who had very kindly offered him safe passage aboard his small boat along with his sons while they made their rounds in Earth Kingdom seas.

"No need to thank me, boy, you just look after yourself and keep yourself out of trouble."

"Aye-aye captain"

The man nodded back to him, smiling warmly as he patted the boy on the unburnt shoulder.

The fisherman had liked the young man, even though he was fire nation. He was polite, kind and very helpful aboard the boat. He could only hope the young man wouldn't find any more trouble, lest he wished to lose another eye.

Yes, he had no doubt Shen Shi would be a magnet for trouble.

Especially with the women, he couldn't help but note as he watched the young man wander down the dock, smirking and winking at a small group of young women doing their morning shopping, that he passed.

"Good morning ladies"

Despite his burn marks, the women all giggled shyly. They were used to dealing with rough characters, yet the unscarred half of his face was incredibly handsome, not to mention he was very strong and lean.

He passed them by very quickly, only pausing for a brief moment as he noticed a young woman standing at the back of the giggling group.

She was watching him, her eyes cold and calculating as she took in every inch of his face.

She was a curvy woman with a slender torso and shapely hips and legs, dressed in a green tunic with brown pants and boots. She had skin the colour of light coffee with long jet-black hair tied up in a high ponytail and brown eyes, which like him had a bright amber spark that flickered like a flame.

She caught his eye even as he turned to look back at her and forced a girlish smile on her face.

After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head and quickly walked away to a nearby tavern, not heeding the woman's triumphant smirk as she quietly peeled herself away from the group of giggling women.

 _So…that's the Lucky Jade's brother, is it? Hmm, now won't this be interesting…_

She quietly slipped into a back alley, quickly adjusting a bracer before letting slip a small stream of fire amidst her fingers.

In the dim shade of the alleyway, it illuminated the tattoo on her wrist.

A tattoo of a black horses' head.

* * *

"The journey was long and annoying" Sokka grunted as he and the rest of his troupe clambered up the steep slope of the mountain pass they were travelling on.

"You're long and annoying" his sister Katara puffed behind him, making both Jade and Aang both chuckle breathlessly as they clambered up the slope.

Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Yeah-yeah, very funny. As I said, the Journey was long and annoying. but now you get to see what it's really about: the destination" he stood atop the mountain path, arms flung wide as he announced.

"I present to you the Earth Kingdom city of O-"

He stopped short, his face paling as he looked over the horizon.

"Oh no…"

"What is it?" Jade frowned worriedly at Katara who quickly scrambled up behind her brother, all tiredness forgotten as they all reached his vantage point.

What they saw made all their blood chill in their veins and their hearts all but stop in their chests.

There was the great city of Omashu, with its great triangular structure built into the mountain. stone buildings stretched out over terraces upon terraces of levels, the great palace built in the middle of it all stretching out towards the top.

But what had them gaping in horror, was the great big red flag that hung over its gates.

A big red flag, with a black flame, emblazoned over the top.

* * *

 **There we have it,**

 **Part 2 of the Cave of two lovers! finally got it done!**

 **so yeah we get to see some of Jade's slightly funnier side (thanks to Sokka) and Zuko's starting his journey with his uncle and making some pretty bad choices (seriously stealing that ostrich horse*shakes head and sighs*). Anyway we now also start ot see Shen starting his journey (oh yeah i'm covering his journey too, it's a family affair).**

 **I gotta say, this episode has always been one of my favourites, mainly because i love the singing nomads! my most favourite funny episode of ATLA though has got to be Season 2 Episode 11 - "The Desert" where Sokka gets high off Cactus Juice because "It's the quenchiest!" XD Lol, gets me every time!**

 **Anyways i hope you guys enjoyed and review if you enjoyed.**

 **Cheers,**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	6. 5 - The Fallen City

***Warning, might be pushing the boundaries of the T-rating later on! don't say I didn't warn you.***

 **Chapter 5: The Fallen City**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _You won't believe where I am at present. I am outside the city of Omashu in a hidden camp for its cities refugees._

 _Why am I here you ask? Well, that's a strange story._

 _You see shortly after our escape from the Cave of the Two Lovers, I, along with the rest of my travel companions finally made it to the great city of Omashu._

 _Only to discover that the Fire Nation had gotten there first._

 _That's right diary; my old nation had taken over one of the greatest strongholds of the Earth Kingdom._

 _And that's not even the worst of it._

* * *

Aang, Katara, Jade and Sokka all gazed over the magnificent view of the city of Omashu.

The once great Earth Kingdom city now had several black plumes of smog issuing from where factories had been erected towards the lower quarters of the city. From every tower and vantage point, Crimson Fire Nation flags blew in the breeze which felt oddly hotter than usual.

I can't believe it. I know the War has spread far, but Omashu always seemed ... untouchable." Aang looked at the city desperately.

"Up until now, it was. Now Ba Sing Sei is the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold left" Sokka folded his arms as he watched the grim spectacle.

"For now," Jade muttered, fists clenching with anger as she looked at the great flaming banner that hung over the city gates. "Who knows what kind of devices my-I mean the Fire Nation has up its sleeve. Mountain battlefields aren't easy terrain to fight on, and yet somehow they've managed to reach…well…here."

"This is horrible." Katara gulped horrified as she walked up to put a hand on Aang's shoulder "but we have to move on."

"No, I'm going to find Bumi" Aang frowned determinedly about to stride forward to the cliff edge when Sokka's voice stopped him.

"Aang, stop. We don't know if Bumi's still-"

"What? If he's still _what_?" Aang snapped back at his friend, daring him to finish the horrifying sentence.

"A-around" Sokka ended awkwardly, but for once neither Jade nor Katara spared him a thought as the latter said:

"I know you had your heart set on Bumi, but there are other people who can teach you Earthbending."

"This isn't about finding a teacher. This is about finding my friend" Aang stepped closer to the edge, readying his glider, only for a hand to reach out and grab the end of it.

"Alright, but if we're going into the city, we'll need a plan. I mean you can't just knock on the front door and expect them not to shoot fireballs at us" Jade quirked a brow at the young Avatar who had opened his mouth to argue, only to have Sokka drown him out.

"Jade's right. We need to enter the city undetected,"

"What if we disguise ourselves as Fire Nation?" Katara suggested, but Sokka and Jade both shook their heads.

"Too risky" Jade snorted "For starters, we're all too young to pass off as soldiers, we won't find any uniforms that would fit us. And secondly, you guys have no idea how Fire Nation military protocol works so they'd be able to spot you from a mile off."

"Good point." Katara nodded, frowning thoughtfully "Maybe we could fly in on Appa in the dead of night, have him drop us off on one of the towers."

"But if we do that we risk alerting the Fire Nation that we broke in." Sokka sighed scratched his chin "If we get caught we're as good as scraps in the sewers, and I can't imagine what they'd do to us if they found out Aang-"

"THAT'S IT!" Aang suddenly burst excitedly "Sokka you're a genius!"

"He is?" Jade quirked a brow, ignoring the small annoyed scowl said genius sent her way as Aang grinned at them all.

"I know how we can get inside the city without being seen"

* * *

 _So there we were, planning to break into a heavily fortified, locked down city through a secret passageway through the, you guessed it, the Omashu sewer system._

 _I've got to admit it was very disgusting having to wade my way upwards through slime, filth and people's…well you get the picture. At least I could earth bend some of the sludge and mud (or at least I hope it was mud) out of the way so I could walk as Aang and Katara both airbended and waterbended_ _their paths respectively._

 _Unfortunately, that meant poor Sokka…well…wasnot as fortunate…_

* * *

"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought" Katara shrugged as she, Aang and Jade all clambered out of the sewerage and out into a deserted dark street. It was night time, the sun had set an hour or so before, which was just as well because no one was there to see the heaving creature of slime and grime that came up behind the three youths.

"UGH!" Jade jumped away from the creature, which gave a massive tired groan as Katara, unphased, bent a whole barrel of water at it.

In a loud splash, all the grime and muck was washed off Sokka, who staggered a little as he recovered from the force of his impromptu bath. He cried out in shock as he was blown backwards from Aang's gust of wind, which was quick to dry him. As he struggled to get, himself righted the hood of his black cloak fell back, revealing the three purple pentapus's that had latched onto his face.

"Ahh! Ack! They won't let go! Help!" he yelled in a panic as he tugged and tugged at the little creatures, that seemed only too happy to remain stuck to his face.

His cries were only subdued when Aang swiftly tackled him, clamping a hand over his mouth to silence him.

"Shh! Stop making so much noise. It's just a purple pentapus."

This sentence didn't seem to reassure Sokka in the slightest, but he kept his mouth shut as Aang, Katara and Jade all made to detach the cute little critters from his skin by rubbing their sensitive heads.

With small pops, the pentapus' retracted their tentacles, leaving behind several red dots over the young boy's skin.

"HEY! What are you doing out past curfew?!" a voice barked.

Jade, Katara and Sokka all scrambled to hide Aang behind their backs, the two girls sheepishly smiling up at the group of Fire Nation soldiers that approached them carrying a lantern and many spears.

"S-Sorry. We were just on our way home" Katara gulped as the three of them turned their backs, making sure that they hid Aang from view even as he secured a makeshift headwrap to cover his bald, tattooed head.

Yet, before they could even make two steps one of the soldiers barked at their backs.

"Wait! What's the matter with him?" they all turned around to see where the man was looking only to find him pointing to the red dots on Sokka's neck and face.

"Uh…he has uh…P-Pentapox, Sir!" Katara spluttered desperately, as the soldiers came up close to them "it's highly contagious!" she elbowed Sokka hard, and he quickly cottoned on.

"Oh, it's so awful I'm dying" he exclaimed dramatically swaying onto Jade who caught him, eyes rolling in annoyance as she grunted.

"And very deadly."

"Hey, I think I've heard of Pentapox. Didn't your cousin Cheng die of it?" one of the soldiers whispered to his fellow officers who all nodded, their face paling dramatically with dread as the gravity of their _"situation_ " sank in.

"We better go wash our hands, and burn our clothes!" they backed away in fear as Sokka lunged forwards, coughing and spluttering purposefully on their uniforms with all the spit and dribble he could muster.

"Well that was surprisingly easy" Sokka straightened up and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Thank you, sewer friends" Aang smiled as he gave the little pentapus in his hand an affectionate scratch before dropping it back into the sewer drain.

"Wait, hang on, so pentapox is a real thing?" Katara turned to Jade who shrugged.

"Apparently, it is."

"Weird"

They began to walk away, Jade quickly glancing over her shoulder.

She could've sworn that she'd seen a shadow disappear from around the corner of one of the nearby buildings.

 _Must be the night playing tricks on me_

She shrugged, but quietly wrapped her dark cloak tighter around her body to hide her arms as she fingered the Sais she had stashed into the sides of the green sash over her waist.

* * *

 _Yeah, I know it was surprisingly easy to sneak around and get into the City of Omashu._

 _Either we're smarter than we look, or my old Nation is starting to let their standards slip. Personally, I think it's a combination of the two._

 _Little did we know what kind of surprise was waiting in store for us._

* * *

There was silence up on the deck as Crown Princess Azula of the Fire Nation sat in her netted palanquin, listening intently to the quiet sneering voices of the two old twin women that sat on either side.

"When tracking your brother and uncle, travelling with the royal procession may no longer be an option" one of them hissed into the night.

"May no longer be wise" the other old twin continued before finishing in union with her sister.

"If you hope to keep the element of surprise."

"You're right. The Royal Procession is dead weight." Azula nodded in agreement, her smirk widening as she thought her new plans through "If I want to catch my prey, I must be agile, nimble. I need a small, elite team. It's time to visit some old friends.

* * *

Shen Shi looked up at the tavern's bar. He'd only had one drink, and yet nothing could really assuage the piercing ache of his newfound isolation.

Back when he was sailing with his family, he had thought that it would be interesting to travel alone. He'd have his room to think, to make his own decisions.

It wasn't that he didn't love his family. On the contrary, he loved them to pieces. And yet he couldn't deny to himself that he was somewhat resentful to his father for the lack of true freedom he had in his teen years. Years he could've spent chasing girls, having fun with his friends and generally being a stupid young man, had been thrown out the window after his mother died.

He could remember strongly; how hard he'd had to work in those months following her death. He literally just took on any job he could find all over his home village just, so he could put bread on the table for himself and his little sister while their dad drunk his sorrows away by himself. His sister, thankfully, had helped him bear the burden, by taking care of the house and keeping him and his father as healthy as she could even though she was only nine years old.

His sister…the only family he now had left. He hoped she was alright.

"Another drink?" the Barkeep asked him, but he shook his head.

"No thanks." He gave an apologetic smile, but the barkeep waved him off, his eyes softening as he took in the horrific burns over the right side of his face.

"Those are some nasty scars son. Let me guess, had a run in with some of them Fire Nation soldiers, did you?"

"Just one. And he was a real bastard" Shen murmured, his smile falling a little as he stared into the depths of his almost finished cup.

"Is he dead?" the barkeep quirked a brow and Shen nodded.

"Yes."

"Good. The less of that lot there is the better" the barkeep shook his head tiredly as he wiped down the bar with a damp cloth. "Tch! This war. Such a waste of everyone's time and energy." "And for what? Land, power? What good is all that when you have nothing and no one left to fight for?"

"Indeed" Shen drained the last of his cup and slid his copper coins across the bar. "Thanks for the drink."

The barkeep blinked down at the coins.

"What are ye doin' son?" he frowned.

"Uh…paying for my drink?" Shen frowned, his brow furrowing as the man made to slide his coins back over the table.

"But it was already paid for."

"By who?" Shen glanced around nervously.

"By me" a husky voice smirked behind him.

He turned around and blinked in surprise at the sight that he beheld. It was a curvy woman, with light coffee coloured skin, long jet-black wavy hair tied up in a high ponytail and bright brown amber eyes. She smirked at him widely as she made to sit down beside him at the bar.

"Another round please" she shoved some coins into the barkeep's hand before shooting him away.

"And pray tell why a lovely lady like you would want to buy a drink for a guy like me?" Shen smirked back at her, though his eyes were scanning her intently.

He was quite interested in her right wrist, where he could see the hint of a black tattoo peeking out from under her bracer. It looked like it was a horse's snout.

He was distracted from his observations by her chuckle of amusement.

"Perhaps because this lady is interested in your story."

"My story? Hmm…not much to tell really?" Shen smirked as he was handed a new drink.

"Somehow I doubt that" the woman looked at him over the rim of her own drink as she took a sip, her eyes darkening as she leaned in and whispered:

"Go on. Impress a girl."

Shen's smirk widened. This was going to be an interesting night.

* * *

"Brr! It's really cold" Jade shivered as she tugged her cloak tight around herself. Winter may have been on its way out, but the air still had a cold bite in it.

"Really? Because I don't feel it." Katara quirked an eyebrow at her as they climbed up a steep set of stairs.

"Yeah well, you can bend snow and ice and all that, so you're used to it," Jade grumbled grumpily as they snuck behind a few crates outside a shopfront to avoid the sight of the Fire Nation Guards.

"Is it just me or are we hiding from more patrols?" Sokka frowned as the guards disappeared down a nearby alleyway.

"We must be getting closer to the upper-class areas. Look." Jade pointed up at the more luxurious buildings on the terraces above them.

"I don't care how fancy they are. Let's find Bumi and get out of here" Katara bristled uncomfortably.

"Where would they be keeping him?" Sokka looked around their surroundings as if half expecting the mad earth king to pop out from behind a bush.

"Somewhere he can't earthbend" Aang looked up at the foot of the large unfinished metal statue, of a gigantic metal man with a fiery crown, which towered high above them all "Somewhere made of metal."

"Just when I thought the Firelord couldn't get any more obnoxious" Jade rolled her eyes as she looked up at the half-finished face of her old leader.

"And yet you dated his son." Sokka raised his eyebrows at her even as she scowled "What? You did!"

"Shh, be quiet" Katara hissed at the two of them, and at once they both fell silent as they moved along the terrace.

Somewhere down below, a small group of people were quietly walking. Jade eyed them as they snuck above them.

It appeared to be a nobleman and his family, surrounded by a few guards who held lanterns to light the procession. The nobleman's wife was carrying a small black-haired baby while a tall teenage girl walked. She was pretty, Jade supposed, with her jet-black hair and her pale alabaster skin. But her looks were marred by the bored glum expression she wore as she sauntered in her parent's wake.

 _Goes to show money and power don't always buy happiness._

Jade snorted to herself only to stop short as she felt a tremor in the ground. She quickly grabbed at Aang's shoulder, holding her finger up to her lips as she pointed upwards from where she had felt the motion.

Aang followed her gaze, eyes widening as he heard and saw a boulder rolling down the hill at top speed. It wouldn't hit them, but it was on a direct path to the unsuspecting nobleman and his family below.

Without pausing to think, the young avatar quickly airbended the rock off its rolling path, causing it to smash into a cloud of dust.

Down below, the procession all turned startled at the source of the noise.

"The resistance!" the nobleman's wife cried out, pointing up at Aang and his companions.

"Crap" Jade hissed, grabbing Aang by the scruff of his collar. She could see the face of the pale teenage girl below, splitting into a disturbingly satisfied smirk.

There was a flash of metal as several knives suddenly flew towards them. One of them barely missed Jade by a hair breath, and would've hit had Sokka not pulled her out of the way in time.

"Thanks." She panted as they all began to run.

"Don't mention it. Now RUN!" Sokka bleated as they heard thundering footsteps closing in behind them.

The Nobleman's' guards were giving chase, and so too, it seemed was his daughter.

She was quick to lunge at Katara, who was doing her best to waterbend a defence against the guards.

Her wall of ice caught the spray of flying knives just in time, and she sprinted at top speed. But the pale girl was hot on her tail even as they turned a corner.

"Ah!" Katara yelped as a knife flew dangerously close to her ankle.

"Katara!" Jade cried out, quickly rooting herself to the spot as she bent a giant pile of nearby rocks from a terrace above.

The pale girl's dark eyes widened in surprise as she darted to the side to avoid the miniature landslide, but otherwise, she wasn't deterred from chasing her prey.

 _Damn, she's fast!_

Jade gulped as she turned to run away from the girl who was now catching up to her, and Aang who had stopped mid-run.

Swiftly he bent a gust of air at some nearby bamboo construction scaffolds which fell onto the guards below.

Yet still, the pale-faced girl trailed them.

 _We've got to shake her off!_

Jade gulped as they all came to a stop herself, Katara and Aang all raising their arms to bend their elements while Sokka raised his boomerang. Smirking, their pursuer flung three more of her throwing knives at them only for them to hit dead air as suddenly the ground gave way beneath her prey's feet.

"AH!" Aang, Katara, Jade and Sokka all yelped as with a heavy thud they landed on something hard.

Above their heads, stone and earth all shifted together to reseal the spot they'd just been standing on.

"Oww" Sokka grunted as the four of them sat up, each one nursing their bruised heads or behinds.

"What the-" Jade frowned as she looked around them.

They appeared to be in a dark underground tunnel, lit by many small glowing green crystals embedded in the rough walls. Around them, illuminated in the phosphorescent light many people surrounded them. However, these people were not the Fire Nation Soldiers they'd expected.

These were mostly men and some women, dressed all in varying shades of green and brown, with dark hair and rugged complexions. Some of them wore matching uniforms with wide-brimmed metal hats. Nearly all of them had bare feet.

 _Earth Kingdom soldiers?_

Jade wondered to herself as a man with a black beard and tired green eyes looked down upon the four of them.

"Are you alright?" he asked Aang who nodded with a small smile as he and the others finally got to their feet.

"Yeah, we are. Thanks for the rescue, I'm-"

"Avatar Aang." The man finished with a nod "Yes we remember you from your last visit. My name is Yung. We are the Omashu Resistance. We've been keeping watch on you since you arrived in the city."

"You have?" Katara blinked, but Yung ignored her as he beckoned urgently.

"Follow us quick. We'll explain on the way to headquarters."

Meanwhile above their heads in the city street, the pale-faced, dark-haired girl sighed heavily. Just her luck that the only exciting thing in this dismal place would disappear within an instant.

 _Oh well…At least something happened tonight._

* * *

The dark woman with the horse tattoo smirked as she and Shen Shi kissed fervently in front of the inn room door.

Their hands were all over each other, bodies already writhing as they kissed, fondled and ground against one another. It had been surprisingly simple to get the young man to agree to sleep with her in her room.

After all which virile red-blooded fire nation brat wouldn't leap at the chance to jump a beautiful woman? True, he was one of the better-looking men she'd had to sleep with in the course of her duties, and if what she was feeling against her thigh was any indication he definately was not lacking in _any_ way.

Now that she thought about it, everything about him seemed too good to be true. He had been keen to tell her his tragic life story, he had trusted every drink she'd bought for him, and he hadn't hesitated to leap into bed with her.

 _This is too easy. Way too easy._

Her brow furrowed a little as they finally managed to open the door and all but collapsed into the tiny bedroll, him on top of her.

He was strong. She noticed as he pinned her down to the soft pillow and stripped away her clothes. Firm and unwavering in his grip as he started to kiss down her neck. Most of her victims she'd killed in this manner would often be so sloppy and intoxicated they'd be throwing up by now.

Now that she thought about it, he didn't seem inebriated at all. If anything, all his movements were calculated and precise.

"Nervous?" Shen smirked as he pulled away to look down at her.

"Not at all" she refreshed her smile, though she couldn't help but seethe a little as he resumed kissing her.

The little bastard wasn't even the slightest bit drunk?! How was that possible? She'd been sure to bribe the barman to ply him with enough drinks to make him completely legless.

 _Guess I'll have to tire him out the old-fashioned way and then kill him while he sleeps._

She sighed as she reached up to trail her hands over his muscular chest, causing him to shiver as she slipped her hands beneath his tunic, only to start dragging down lower to the waistband of his pants.

"Y'know, I gave you my name, but you didn't give me yours." he murmured against her neck as he bit down hard on her pulse.

"It's Zora" the woman, Zora, whispered into his earlobe before biting it, only to groan as he ground himself against her hard, his hands finding their way over her chest and to all the sensitive spots on her skin.

Damn, this man. She was supposed to be seducing him and yet he was playing her like a fiddle!

She rolled her eyes to herself as she tried to keep her pleasure under control, but he wasn't making it easy as his mouth began to trail down her neck and down to her body, licking and sucking as he paused in small spots here and there. He might've been young, but he was surprisingly skilled both with his hands and with his tongue.

She gulped as she caught sight of the victorious glint in his one good eye as he moved down between her legs.

She remembered the way he'd spoken to her down in the bar. He had been the perfect little gentleman; polite, soft-spoken, if a little cheeky and flirty sometimes. There had been an innocent yet charming goofiness about his playful smile and his jokes. But now the boy was gone, replaced by a shrewd, ruthless man with a cold, cunning amber gaze, and firm, rough hands…

 _Very well, I'll let you have your fun Shen Shi._

She smirked quietly as she resigned herself to fall back into the bed, body twisting and arching as she let him take her body.

She'd kill him soon enough anyway. She might as well enjoy the wait.

* * *

"So is King Bumi with you guys? Is he leading the resistance" Aang, Katara, Jade and Sokka all looked up hopefully at Yung as he led them to the end of the sewer tunnel towards an open space?

There, many people were milling about. Most of them were military or law enforcement personnel, though there were some other civilians young and old amidst the crowd. Upon the arrival of the Avatar and his young friends, they all turned to watch interestedly.

 _Wow…are all of these guys…earthbenders?_

Jade's green eyes sparkled in wonderment, but she didn't have time to admire the spectacle as Yung snapped:

"Of course not! The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city... to fight for our lives and our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi surrendered."

"Wait, he what?" Jade glanced sidelong at Sokka who was looking just as confused as she was.

Katara meanwhile only had worried eyes for Aang, whose face had turned the colour of parchment.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice small and timid.

Yung sighed heavily.

"The day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do. He looked me in the eye and said ' _I am going to do…Nothing!'._ And then he laughed."

Yung's eyes softened as he beheld the young Avatar's now saddened face.

"It doesn't matter now. Fighting the Fire Nation is the only path to freedom." He turned to face the rest of his followers. "And freedom is worth dying for."

Despite herself, Jade could not help but look down to the ground.

She had once thought that way too, and, years ago, she would've been inspired by Yung's declaration.

But she couldn't find it in herself to agree with him. After all her mother had died to save her and give her freedom, and her father had died to give her and her brother a chance to be free to save the world. Though she was happy to be now liberated and travelling alongside the Avatar, she still wouldn't wish the burden of her grief upon any other.

Nor it seemed would Aang.

"Actually," the young Airbender murmured "There's another path to freedom. You could leave Omashu. You're directing all your energy to fight the Fire Nation. But you're outnumbered."

He looked out over the sea of heads before them, there were many, but not nearly enough to take on an invading force.

"You can't win. Now's the time to retreat, so you can live to fight another day."

"You don't understand" Yung growled in frustration as he punched the air in front of him. "They've taken our home, and we have to fight them at any cost!"

"I don't know Yung." A resistance fighter from the side put a soft hand on his leader's shoulder "Living to fight another day is startin' to sound pretty good to me."

"Yeah, I'm with the kid" another resistance fighter nodded vigorously and around them, several voices began to murmur in agreement.

Jade looked around at the men and few women that surrounded them. All of them were tired and looked like they hadn't had a proper bath, meal or rest in days. Some of them were even sporting injuries, mainly bruises, though there were a few with broken limbs, young and old.

Yung, followed her gaze, sighing in resignation. He too could see the futileness of his argument, and it gave him little comfort.

"Fine" he looked back at Aang, his temper calming as he said "But there are thousands of citizens that need to leave. How're we going to get them all out?"

"…Suckers!" Sokka suddenly exclaimed, earning himself a few raised eyebrows, the biggest of which came from Katara and Jade even as he made to explain:

"You're all about to come down with a nasty case of Pentapox."

"Seriously? We're all gonna escape by calling in sick?" Katara frowned and Sokka shrugged.

"Why not? You saw the soldiers up there. They couldn't get away from us fast enough when they thought it was deadly"

Jade opened her mouth, only to shut it. The plan was insane…but now that she thought about it, it might just work!

* * *

 _And there you have it Diary, we had a plan to get out of the city. We were going to all fake pentapox._

 _Who'd have thought under all Sokka's clumsy, sarcastic, silliness exists the brain of a genius?!_

 _In addition to our military, my nation-I mean the Fire Nation is famous for our-their cleanliness. With a combination of good hygiene practices and expansive medical advances, plagues have become quite rare._

 _Seriously, there hasn't been a big outbreak of plague in several generations, and the Fire Nation would do anything to keep it that way. Even if it meant letting out an entire population of Earth-benders from their clutches._

 _Seriously, it was so easy. All we had to do to just pop on the little suckers, let them leave a couple of marks around our arms, legs and face, and then all we had to do was walk around like the undead till we all passed through the city gates._

 _A couple of the people really got into it, drooling and foaming all over the mouth. They pulled out all the stops when it came to their performance and-_

"Ow!" Jade winced as something suddenly leapt upon her head and shoulders.

"What-Momo!" she cried out as the small flying lemur clutched at her scalp. Quickly she shut her diary, tucking it quickly into her satchel. She had been sitting at the edge of a large Earth Kingdom camp, tucked away safely in the valley between Omashu and another nearby mountain.

Most of the people around her were citizens of Omashu, most of them reuniting with families and loved ones before settling down for the night in "tents" bend from Earth in the ground.

Jade, herself sat outside a smaller earth tent right next to Appa, who had found them only an hour ago thanks to the small bison whistle Katara had packed in her satchel. The great sky beast grunted and shifted from his spot beside Jade as she finally threw a frantic Momo off her head, only to have something small but heavy bowl into her.

"Ah-ba! Gah!" a small voice squeaked into her face.

"What the-Huh?" Jade blinked as she looked down into her lap.

There, clambering into her arms, was a small toddler. He was adorable, with round cheeks, brown eyes and a tuft of black hair atop his round head. He wore white and pink robes typical of Fire Nation children and-

"Oh no…" Jade gulped as she looked around at the campsite.

All the other children that had been smuggled out with the rest of the Earthbenders all wore an assortment of green, brown and sometimes cream coloured clothes, typical of their nation.

Jade was distracted from her horror as the toddler in her arms suddenly reached for her green and white lotus tile pendant.

"Whoa, sorry mister, that isn't a toy for you" She quickly tucked the pendant under her tunic, wincing as the little boy began to whine.

"Damn" she groaned as she stood up, swooping the infant into her arms and bouncing him gently.

"Come on, don't cry. Don't cry. We'll figure something out" she murmured soothingly as the boy began to smile and giggle with every bounce. Quietly she made her way over to where she knew Yung and his resistance fighters were sitting and talking in hushed voices.

"Yung!" she called and at once all the earthbenders all turned to face her.

Upon catching sight of the infant in her arms, Yung's face paled.

"By spirits, you've got to be kidding me!" he groaned, and she rolled her eyes as the little boy reached up to painfully tug at her short brown locks.

"Yeah…I know."

"How did he get here?" one of the resistance fighters frowned in confusion.

"I have no idea. But I think we should do a headcount-ow!" she winced as her eye was suddenly poked at.

She did not sign up for this.

She waited patiently as Yung and his men performed a headcount around the camp. Thankfully, there weren't any other Fire Nation children amidst their ranks, though many were curious as to how this infant managed to toddle into their midst unnoticed during their escape.

Jade herself, was still trying to figure out how no one had noticed the baby until that moment. He certainly was very handsy as he tried to reach out and grab at anything he could find. He was especially interested in Momo, whom he would lunge for every time the lemur came into sight.

But Jade was always quick to catch the little hellion before he could attack the poor animal.

"Ba-ba!" he drooled up at her as he tried and failed to form a word.

Despite herself, Jade couldn't help the small smile.

"Nice try cutie. But it's gonna take a lot more than that adorable face if you want to get past me." She smirked as she playfully poked his tiny button nose and he giggled.

There was a heavy thud behind her and she turned, baby still in her arms just in time to see a massive creature land at the edge of the camp.

It was a massive cream coloured gorilla-goat, with big green eyes, massive forelegs and goat-like hindquarters. Its big ears were floppy and drooped sadly even as the small red and yellow figure of Aang leapt down from its back just as Katara and Sokka came rushing out of their tent to greet him.

"I looked everywhere, but no Bumi" the young avatar mumbled sadly as his two friends welcomed him back with a hug each.

The big gorilla-goat behind him, grunted sadly and Sokka, in a surprisingly tender gesture reached out to hug and pet the giant creature's face.

Obviously, they must've met before.

Jade couldn't help but wonder just what or where the creature had come from. Gorilla-goats were not known for their docility and were difficult animals to tame.

"We have a problem" Yung called out as he stepped out from behind her back to address Aang. "We just did a head count"

"Oh no. Did someone get left behind?" Katara asked worriedly but Yung shook his head.

"No, we have an extra" Yung looked over his shoulder at Jade just as the infant in her arms stuck his finger up her nose.

"Great" She sighed heavily. King Bumi was captured along with his city, his people were refugees and now a runaway Fire Nation toddler was picking her nose.

This really wasn't her evening.

What she couldn't possibly know was that high above the camp, upon the shadowy slopes, a shadow was watching her every move, with malicious glinting eyes.

* * *

"Damn!" Zora snarled as she slammed her tattooed fist down.

She was sitting in the inn room she'd paid for. ALONE!

 _That blasted little Jackass! How dare he make a fool of me! ME! The Horse of the Zodiac!_

She snarled as she stormed over naked to where her satchel lay just a few feet away from the empty bed roll on a low table.

Over it a small piece of paper had been laid with a message scrawled in dark ink and small characters.

 _"Nice try. But you'll have to do better than that to catch me sweetheart. Also, the room's paid for so enjoy a little time off. You could use the rest after all the action last night. - Shen"_

She tore up the note with a snarl before snatching up one of the empty cups from the table. In it, she could feel the sticky residue of rice wine they had drunk the night before, along with something powdery at the bottom.

The little bastard drugged her drink?!

She threw the cup into the wall, where it shattered into several large chunks.

"Oy! Keep it down in there!" a voice called gruffly through the wall.

But Zora didn't care as she scrambled around for her clothes.

 _That miserable wretch! I'll show him! I'll show him what happens to those who crosses me! No one makes a fool of Zora Fong. NOBODY!_

Meanwhile a few miles outside the portside town, Shen Shi disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest, smirking to himself under the brim of his large rice hat.

* * *

 **So there you have it, Chapter 5 is up after a long time.**

 **Sorry for the long wait. I was busy revamping another one of my Young Justice FFs. But now that's done, I can focus on this fic now.**

 **Anyways so that's Jade's first visit to Omashu. Relatively tame as far as chapters go but trust me it's going to get better. And yeah I am also going to cover Shen's journey. I'm having fun writing him in and exploring more about him. I always pictured him as a bit of a ladies man even with the scars ;) I put the warning up for the beginning of the chapter because I didn't know if I was pushing the T-rating too much regarding sexual content and just wanted to be careful.**

 **Anyways i hope you guys enjoyed and if you did please keep reviewing and faving. Your reviews and faves give me strength!**

 **Cheers,**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	7. 6 - An Unequal Exchange

**Chapter 6: An Unequal Exchange**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _We've just left Omashu and are on our way to the Shan mountains._

 _A lot has happened since last night. We've managed to help guide the remaining refugees from the great city but faced some complications._

 _You see shortly after our escape; we discovered that, unfortunately, we had picked up a stowaway._

 _And not just any stowaway. It was the adorable toddling infant son of the Governor of Omashu Somehow; he managed to latch himself onto Momo while he and Aang searched the city for King Bumi. While I'm sure it's all been an exciting adventure for him, it sure has been a real pickle for us getting him back home…_

* * *

Momo screeched as a tiny pair of fingers suddenly tried grabbing for his tail.

"Uh-uh-uh little guy! Now you leave the poor lemur alone" Jade quickly picked up the small Fire Nation toddler who giggled and cooed up at her as she carried him back over to where Katara and Sokka both sat in front of a campfire with Yung and the other Omashu resistance fighters.

"Uwahh!" the baby gurgled as he tried to toddle back towards a still frightened Momo, only to bump into Sokka's club. His bright amber eyes gleamed with bright excitement as he reached out to touch the weapon.

"No! Bad Fire Nation baby!" Sokka snapped as he quickly pulled the weapon out of arms reach, only to wince as the baby started to shriek and wail angrily.

Jade sighed, shaking her head as a scowling Katara quickly slapped her brother's shoulder disapprovingly.

"Oh alright," the water tribe boy grumbled in defeat as he carefully handed his weapon back to the little toddler. The corners of Jade's mouth twitched upwards as in an instant the infant's wails ceased and his face split into a wide drooling delighted smile.

"Ohh you're so cute! Mmuah!" Katara cooed as she cuddled and kissed the adorable infant's plump cheeks.

"Sure he's cute now. But when he's older, he'll join the Fire Nation Army. You won't think he's cute then. He'll be a killer" Yung grunted grimly as he eyed the infant who was now trying to stand and balance on his chubby legs.

"Does that look like the face of a killer to you? Katara scowled as she put her hands under the baby's arms to help steady him.

Yung didn't say anything, but his eyes were weary and sad as he looked the baby over. He wasn't trying to sound cruel and horrible. He was stating a painful fact, and though she did not like what he said, even Jade couldn't deny the truth in his words. If the Avatar couldn't defeat the Fire Lord soon, then that darling baby angel would grow up to become yet another ruthless soldier fighting for a totalitarian dictator.

 _Shen and I were lucky. At least our parents raised us to have minds of our own._

Jade took a sip from her water pouch on her hip, more to ignore the ache in her chest than anything else. However, she needn't have worried for at that precise moment; something squawked nearby.

They all turned and saw a large brown hawk bearing holster with a cylindrical canister on its back.

"A messenger hawk?" Yung frowned as he and the others all stood up.

Aang was first to reach the bird and take out the small scroll from within the metal cylinder from its back.

 _Oh no, this can't be good._

Jade gulped as she looked at the expensive wax seal on the back of the scroll. Only high ranking officers or officials ever used seals like that.

"It's from the Fire Nation Governer." Aang spoke as he read the message "He thinks we kidnapped his son, so he wants to make a trade. His son, for King Bumi"

* * *

 _So yeah Diary, that's where things get complicated. Of course, we were going to return the baby to his family, I mean we're not kidnappers. At the same time, barging straight back into the city we'd just escaped was extremely risky._

 _Especially considering the reception, we had no idea we were about to get._

* * *

The Royal procession was small but grand as they entered the rather quiet city of Omashu, bathed in the grey light of morning.

Behind a couple of buildings, a lone figure stood, hidden in the shadows. His sharp eyes glimmered faintly under the hood as he watched the palanquin be steered towards the grand steps of what had once been the Palace of King Bumi.

And at the foot of these steps, a pale girl with raven black hair and a blank deadpan expression bowed as the occupants of the palanquin stepped down to earth.

Both girls were pretty, though remarkably different. The first the shadow spotted was garbed all in a girlish pink and had a long high brown braid. She beamed with excitement, grey eyes sparkling as she bounced on the stone tiles, her feet barely making a sound they were as light as feathers.

However, it was the other girl the shadow found most intriguing. She was dressed in expensive Fire Nation clothes. Her hair was brown too, but dark, almost black and set in a high top-knot and her amber brown eyes were sharp like a cats' as she approached the emotionless girl at the steps and gave her a smug sneer up and down.

"Please tell me you're here to kill me." The black-haired girl droned dully as she bowed respectfully to the other girl.

There was a momentary pause, then quite suddenly the girl with the top-knots sneer turned into a small, genial smile as she reached out to briefly hug her friend.

"It's great to see you Mai" she chuckled as the other girl in pink suddenly dashed forwards to squeeze the life out of her polar-opposite.

"Ty-Lee. I thought you ran off and joined the circus. You said it was your calling" the girl, Mai, frowned in concern as she patted Ty-Lee on the back.

"Well, Azula called a little louder" Ty-Lee shrugged as she and Mai both turned to face Azula, who reached out to put a firm hand on their shoulders.

"I have a mission, and I need you both."

"Count me in." Mai rolled her eyes "Anything to get me out of this place."

Meanwhile, in his hiding spot, the hooded shadow's lip curled.

So…Princess Azula was touring the Earth Kingdom, was she? But what for? And why did she need the help of these two other brats?

 _Interesting…Very interesting._

He stroked his pointed chin. Ever since he'd learned that the Avatar and his other prey were travelling back to the great city to bargain for the life of their friend Bumi. He had only arrived back at Omashu this morning, using his stealth to sneak his way aboard a supplies convoy.

Yet now even as she watched the young Fire Nation princess and her posse walk up the palace steps, new plans were beginning to gestate in the back of his brain.

His mouth split into a cold twisted leer.

This was going to be more fun than he thought.

* * *

Shen Shi, sighed as he steered his ostrich horse along the long and winding dirt track through the tall trees. He'd used the last of his gold coins to buy this beast and so far it had served him well.

And a good thing too. That Zora woman had been rather hot on his trail.

He supposed he should've expected it. After all, he had slept with her, drugged her drink with sleeping powder and then dropped her like a sack of potatoes at dawn.

Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel a small ache in his chest as he wondered what Jade or his father would've said about his actions.

His father would've probably been mad at him for treating a woman so callously, regardless whether they were the enemy or not. In that way, his old man could be quite old-fashioned.

Jade probably would be exasperated but she would've understood. She was quite adept at sneakily spiking drinks, as she had proven back at the North Pole.

Shen smirked as he imagined her facepalming and rolling her eyes before slapping him on the back of the head.

Oh, how he hoped she was alright.

 _Get yourself together Shen!_

He shook his head out to clear it as he reached a fork in the road.

He had heard rumours from the few villages he'd passed in recent days that a group of hermit-like men had been seen wandering around the nearby river. Hermit men that bent fire and helped people in need.

Shen could only hope they were Jeong-Jeong and his followers, because he had literally no other leads to go on, and he had yet to find a White Lotus tea-house to seek sanctuary in.

Speaking of sanctuary…

He chanced a glance behind him. There in the distance, he could see a dark figure travelling fast towards him.

 _She's a stubborn one, I'll give the woman that!_

He smirked as he cracked the reins of his steed hard and they both dashed forwards on the road and deeper into the forest.

* * *

The morning sun had well above the horizon by the time Jade, Aang, Katara and Sokka stepped out onto the wooden scaffolding platform on the eastern side of the city of Omashu.

"I don't like this" Jade mumbled as she looked around their meeting spot. They were very high up and most of their surroundings were either made of wood or metal from the building contraptions. Aang could probably get away with his air bending, but as far as Jade and Katara's powers went, their bending resources were limited.

"Yeah, we're way too exposed up here" Sokka agreed grimly as he eyed their surroundings.

In his arms, the little infant Tom-Tom was quiet as he clung to him nervously. He really had taken quite a shine to the Water Tribe boy, who, whilst he wouldn't openly admit it, had grown a little fond of him too.

"Don't worry, everything will be okay," Aang assured them as he finished tying an orange headscarf over the top of his blue tattooed head. "We'll just hand Tom-Tom over, get Bumi and get out of here."

 _If only it were that simple._ Jade thought dryly as they all turned to face the other end of the platform where three people had just stepped into view.

There were three girls around her age.

One of them she instantly recognized to be the gloomy raven-haired girl from two nights ago. From the looks of it, she was still insanely bored. The girl to her right was bright, perky and bubbly, wearing all pink and had a long brown ponytail braid.

But it was the girl with the dark brown hair and the top knot that held Jade's attention.

Was it just Jade's imagination or did she look eerily like Zuko?

 _But no wait, that can't be right. I mean yeah, sure he has a sister but no. The Princess is supposed to be in the Fire Nation with the rest of the royal family…right? Maybe it's a cousin? Wait, Zuko doesn't have any cousins, does he? I mean, Prince Lu-Ten died a few years ago but still… Someone from his mother's side perhaps?_

Yet the more and more she stared at the girl's amber gaze, the more her gut sank as she remembered Zuko's face and his father's face from the propaganda posters. No, this resemblance was too strong to be a distant relation.

Unbidden, words Zuko had once uttered to her barely a few months ago wafted over her brain:

 _"I mean don't get me wrong, my mother was beautiful but both Azula and I look more like our father."_

"Uh, guys…I think we should-" but before anyone could turn to listen to her something metallic cranked above their heads. They all looked up to see what appeared to be a metal coffin, with a rectangular hole, through which the crazed head of an ancient looking old man cackled and snorted.

"Hi everybody!"

"Is that Bumi?" Jade mumbled and Aang nodded, a smile of relief spread over his face as he watched his old friend's metal box descend to the wooden platform. Apart from the imprisonment, the old mad king looked in the bloom of health. In fact, he looked like he was quite enjoying himself as he spotted the young air ender and his comrades.

Not like the gloomy raven-haired girl who barked from her spot in front of him.

"You brought my brother?"

 _Brother? How in spirits names could such a cute happy darling be related to that gloom face?_

Jade frowned in confusion as she glanced between the baby in Sokka's arms and the girl across from them, whom Aang was quick to address.

"He's here! We're ready to trade." Aang assured them with a firm but calm voice, far more mature than what one would expect from his twelve-year-old body.

"I'm sorry but a thought just occurred to me" the girl-Zuko-lookalike spoke, her voice a silken purr that sent an unnatural shiver down Jade's back. It didn't help when the gloomy girl smirked and nodded respectfully at her and said:

"Of course, Princess Azula."

"Oh crap," Jade mumbled, earning a confused glance from Katara, as Princess Azula made to say:

"We're trading a two-year-old for a king? A powerful Earthbending King? It just doesn't seem like a fair trade does it?"

The sullen girl pursed her lips and Jade could feel her stomach sinking lower and lower as she watched her brow furrow into an even deeper frown.

"Hmmm, I guess not…. The deal's off!" the girl raised her arm up high in the air and at once Bumi began to rise up again, cackling and giggling with mad mirth.

"Hm-hihi! See you all later!"

"BUMI!" Aang dashed forwards twirling his staff to prep it to fly.

He had barely gone a few paces when Princess Azula suddenly darted forwards, searing bright blue fire dancing from her punching fist.

Aang was quick to avoid the blast, leaping up onto the large bamboo scaffolding next to them and using it to propel himself onto his glider. However, as he leapt, a gust of wind blew across his head, unravelling the orange wrap upon it.

"Damn" Jade growled as she caught sight of the light blue arrow suddenly illuminated in the morning light. She glanced back at Princess Azula and once again was painfully reminded of Zuko as she caught sight of the all too familiar glimmer of smug, derisive pleasure in the other girl's golden amber eyes.

"The Avatar! My lucky day."

Azula was quick to dash to the scaffolding but Jade was hot on her heels.

"Oh no you don't!" she rushed after her, tackling the princess to the ground from behind.

"Filthy peasant! Get your hands off me!" Azula snapped eyes flashing as she struggled against Jade, her fist igniting with blue fire.

With a hard shove, she pushed Jade off her, her hand slicing at a nearby rope pulley system. The rope was quickly severed and with a speed that almost defied belief, princess Azula leapt up into the air, grabbing onto the rope of the pully as it zoomed upwards.

"Filthy peasant? Argh! Now I see the family resemblance." Jade growled angrily as she leapt to her feet but it was too late.

Just as she was about to reach her, something glinted in the corner of Jade's eye.

"AH!" she cried out as a sharp knife sliced past her upper arm and wheeled around just in time to dodge several more knives.

She wheeled around expecting to see the gloomy girl from before wielding her throwing knives, only to see a shadow amidst the bamboo scaffolding.

They were tall and wearing what appeared to be a dark hooded cloak that hid the top half of their head's in shadow, while the pointed deathly pale lower half sneered maliciously at her.

Quite frankly she wouldn't have been surprised to see a forked tongue slip out from the mouth as its thin cracked lips curled, even as it bolted towards her.

But Jade was ready this time. With a quick dive, she leapt out of the way of the oncoming knives, only to hit a wooden beam.

Her new attacker sniggered, an eerie hissing sound that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as she stumbled to her feet. She could just see Sokka and Katara both trying to avoid the blows of Princess Azula's two comrades, Tom-Tom still safe in their custody.

If she could just reach them.

"Running away?" a sly voice hissed. "And here I thought Earth benders stood their ground."

Jade wheeled around only to start backing away from the hooded figure that was now standing over her shoulder. He was disarmingly tall, though he was skilful to not let her see beneath the shadows of his hood as he struck with a hard slice of his hand.

As she avoided the attack, Jade swore she saw embroidered into the lining of his dark cloak, two strange golden snake eyes.

Unbidden her father's voice echoed in her head, and a sheet of paper flashed over her mind's eye.

 _"Worst of all beware, of the Dragon, the Snake and the Horse. They belong to no nation and are forces not to be trifled with."_

 _But no…it couldn't be…this man is the snake?_

Jade thought wildly as she ducked and weaved through the scaffolding, yet even as she made her way out into the open air, he stopped short.

 _Wait…what the?_

Jade blinked as with a small sneer he began to slink back into the shadows.

"Till next time oh Lucky Jade" he whispered, his voice as smooth and soft as a snakes hiss as he all but melded into the shadows. Jade was almost surprised that she did not see a forked tongue slip from his lips to taste the air.

But she didn't have time to ponder the stranger's appearance as she saw a shadow fall over her from behind.

Quickly she turned and dodged out of the way of the pink-clad perky girl from Princess Azula's entourage.

 _Damn, she's fast!_

Jade thought as the girl cartwheeled swiftly to block her escape before springing into a backflip over her head.

"Ah!" Jade cried out as she felt a small pale knuckle suddenly dig into her shoulder. It stung horribly, but she pushed through the pain as she whipped around, deflecting another knuckle punch and countering with a swift kick to the girl's exposed midriff.

"Oof! Ow hey!" the girl complained loudly, but Jade didn't have any time to chat as she was grabbed by a hand and dragged away.

"Sokka! Sokka wait what about Katara!" Jade blurted out as she looked over her shoulder to see Katara deflecting the pale moody girl's sharp knives with her water bending.

"She'll be fine, now come on! We gotta jump! Appa Yip-YIP!" Sokka cried out as he ran to the edge of the platform. He was still carrying baby Tom-Tom tightly in his arms. Despite the chaos around him, the little infant was squealing and clapping his hands in delight.

Obviously, he was enjoying this new chasing game more than they were. He certainly squealed with delight as Jade and Sokka slid down a wooden ladder before dashing down to leap at a flying mound of cream and brown fur that suddenly appeared before them.

"Here! Hold the baby!" Sokka shoved Tom-Tom into Jade's hands as he took the reins at Appa's horns.

Jade barely had time to grab the baby and the sky bison's saddle as with a loud grunt they were lifted into the air. From her vantage point, she could see Katara still trying to run from the knife throwing girl only to trip as the perky pink girl from before suddenly attacked her from below.

"Sokka!" Jade cried out, holding on tight to the baby as Sokka quickly steered Appa towards his sister

"I see her!" he nodded, though Jade could see the fear in his eyes as he watched his sister get several times from the back by the strange perky girl.

Jade stared, her knuckles whitening on the edge of Appa's saddle as she saw Katara move her arms to bend, only for the water to barely move an inch off where it had spilt over the floor.

 _That girl blocked her chi?!_

Jade gulped, her veins chilling to ice. She'd heard of Chi-blocking from her father before but had never once seen it in action. To think that a girl around her age could be so adept at it…

 _A Chi-Blocker and a Knife thrower? Just who are these girls?_

Meanwhile back on the ground, the knife throwing girl's lip curled into a smirk as she unsheathed another knife.

"How're you going to fight without your bending?" she raised her hand to throw the knife.

There was a sharp sound that made Jade wince as something smooth and metallic flew through the air and hit the knife out of the girl's hand before swooshing back to meet them.

"I seem to manage!" Sokka called out as he grabbed his returning boomerang.

With a swift tug on the reins, he directed Appa to land between the girls and Katara, his large paddle-like tail slapping down hard upon the wooden platform.

Both the gloomy girl and perky girl cried out in alarm as the shockwave of air from the tail suddenly hit both of them squarely in the guts, sending them flying backwards almost to the other end of the platform.

"Are you okay?!" Jade cried out as she reached down and helped pull Katara up onto Appa's back.

"I'm fine, where's Aang?!"

"We don't know, ugh!" Jade held onto the baby and the saddle tight as Sokka directed the sky bison back into the air and towards one of the giant delivery slides that ran over the city.

"Who were those guys?" Katara asked as she, Jade, and her brother all looked over the edge of the saddle, Jade still clinging tightly onto Tom-Tom in her arms.

"I don't know, but whoever they are they're trouble!" Jade narrowed her eyes as she scanned the city from above.

Two years ago she would've given anything to see this city from this kind of view. Now she couldn't have been so terrified as the ground suddenly zoomed towards her.

"Look! Over there!" she heard Katara call out and quickly she scrambled to the front of the saddle, baby in arms, to see where the water tribe siblings were looking.

Jade felt her gut drop like a stone. Aang was sliding down one of the tall delivery slides on top of King Bumi's coffin-shaped container. The Earth King was snorting with glee as he watched his young friend bend a wall of air to the figure zooming down behind them in a stone crate.

It was Princess Azula. Her sharp eyes were glinting victoriously as she punched one of her fists forwards. At once, fierce blue-white flames burst forth from the edges of her knuckles, searing through the air like a sharp hot blade.

Thankfully, Aang managed to deflect the attack, just as Appa and the rest of his friends came level with him and Bumi.

"There's Aang!"

"We can catch him!"

"Hang on Bumi! Our ride's here!" Aang called out swishing his staff to create a powerful gust of wind.

At once the trapped king and he rose into the air and drifted sideways over the top of the saddle…only to overstep the mark and topple completely over the opposite side despite Katara, Sokka and Jades' attempt to grab onto them.

"Oh crap!" Jade gulped as both Bumi and Aang toppled down into the city below, only to be saved as Aang quickly used his airbending to push him and his old friend into another delivery slide.

If Jade thought that would slow down Princess Azula, she was sorely mistaken. With a face of steely determination (that eerily reminded Jade of Zuko), the princess leapt down after her prey. She was swift to bend a spinning wheel of blue fire that she sent straight down the slide towards Aang and Bumi, the latter of which finally stopped chuckling and jerked his head as the bright gleam of the flames caught his eye.

"What the?" Jade gaped in amazement as she saw a wall of rock suddenly appear directly in the path of the spinning blue wheel of fire, which dispersed quickly upon impact.

At the same moment, Azula leapt off her delivery cart as she hurtled towards the wall, only to force herself into half a split as she steadied her two feet on the delivery slide.

Below her, Aang stared at Bumi as they continued to speed down the slide at breakneck speed.

"You could earthbend?! All along?!" he cried out, grey eyes agog as his old friend grinned and cackled.

"Well, they didn't cover my face!"

And with that, they slid down into the city and out of sight.

* * *

 _So, there you have it Diary, King Bumi. The Mad King of Omashu himself._

 _I've got to say even though I'm pissed to know that he could potentially singlehandedly escape all on his own, the man must be a freaking genius to understand how to earthbend with his face._

 _WITH HIS F-ING face! I mean, most Earth Benders ha_ _ve trouble using anything but their hands and legs, but to be able to use your head to earth bend or even bend any other element?!_

 _Phew! I mean, that's quite something._

 _Seriously...it's incredible...I can only hope I will ever become a tenth as good as that when I finally master earthbending that's for sure._

 _If I even make it to the Shan mountains in alive and whole of course..._

* * *

The sun was low in the sky as Princess Azula left the city of Omashu in her Palanquin, escorted by guards and her two best friends, Mai and Ty-lee.

Her amber eyes shut as she assessed the events of the morning calmly in her head. Shortly after losing the Avatar in the city, King Bumi had surrendered himself back to Fire Nation custody.

it was obvious he had been hoping to offer himself up as a sacrifice so that the Avatar could escape. But that wasn't what had Azula worried.

It was the memory of the green-eyed girl that had attacked her on that platform.

There was something familiar about that girl she was sure of it.

But how?

From all the rumours she had heard of the Avatar, she had only heard of him having two companions from the Water Tribe. However, the princess could not help but notice that the girl that attacked her was clearly from the Earth Kingdom if her brown hair and eyes were anything to go by.

And yet…she didn't seem completely earth Kingdom either…

Unbidden, the princess's thoughts slid back to an image of her pathetic brother, fingering something green that hung about his neck from a black cord.

 _Hmm…I wonder…_

Azula was quickly snapped out of her thoughts as Mai spoke up suddenly from the side.

"So, we're tracking down your brother and uncle now huh?"

"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again. Won't it Mai?" Ty-Lee smiled cheekily at Mai who actually stifled a small blush and a tiny grin.

Azula herself couldn't help the small smirk that flitted over her face. There was no point trying to hide it from anyone. Mai did like Zuko a lot, even when they were children. It was she after all who had given him his first ever kiss.

And yet…that green-eyed girl…

 _But no…she couldn't be the Lucky Jade's daughter? She's too weak! How on Earth did my brother ever fall for a miserable half-breed creature like her? Then again, Zu-Zu is kind of pathetic that way…_

She thought, though out loud she said calmly:

"It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore. We have two more targets now. The Avatar…and the earth-bender girl with him"

"The earth-bender?" Ty-Lee shared a confused glance with Mai who's gloomy scowl deepened in concern.

"You mean that green-eyed girl that tackled you? She didn't look like much"

"Maybe…" Azula muttered, more to herself than to the others "but if the rumours about what happened at the North Pole are true then-" she stopped short, her eyes narrowing as she felt her guards and Palanquin stop around her.

Ty-Lee and Mai stopped too, both of them readying their stances.

There a few meters away, silhouetted by the setting golden sun, a tall shadow of a man stepped forward to block their path.

"Halt! You are in the presence of Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. Back away now or you shall be arrested!" one of Azula's guards commanded, and yet the figure did not make to move away.

Instead, a soft hissing chuckle escaped him, one that made Ty-Lee gulp nervously and Mai stiffen where they stood as he sneered and bowed low.

"Forgive me, your highness. I only wished to talk to you before you depart."

"Then speak now and quickly before my guard follows through on his word. As you can see I am in rather a hurry." Azula answered, as cool as a cucumber, though if one were to look hard enough, they would see her hands tense slightly in her lap in readiness.

"Of course I understand. Chasing the Avatar is no mean feat" the figure hissed as his hands reached up.

"Stand down" Azula barked at her guards and friends as they all baulked, ready to strike the man down.

He only pulled down the hood to his face.

It was thin, gaunt and pointed, with a flat nose and thin-lipped mouth. His skin was pale, almost sickly in appearance and he had thin dark eyes. Each one was outlined with black tattoos that slid back over the sides of his bald head.

"Thank you, princess." He bowed low again, revealing the back of his head where the tattoos extended to create the outlines of two black snakes eyes on either side, as well as the great black snake scale pattern tattoo that started on the base of his skull and spread down his long neck like a second skin, over his shoulders and arms and down his covered back.

"Who are you?" Ty-Lee breathed, unable to contain her shiver of disgust and fear as the man's dark eyes roved over her and her friend in turn, assessing them both coldly.

"My name is Yilan, the Snake of the Zodiac, and I am here to offer my services to the princess."

"And pray to tell why I would let a stranger serve me when I have nearly all my father's forces at my disposal?" Azula questioned though Yilan could see the curious glint in her young amber eyes.

"With all due respect princess, soldiers can only go so far when it comes to getting what you want. They would stick out like a sore thumb wherever they go. I, on the other hand, am quite capable of collecting information from sources even the Fire Nation knows not."

"Yeah because that's not suspicious at all" Mai mumbled under her breath as she glared the man down, folding her arms in her robes.

"I see…" Azula's lip curled. "An interesting proposal, though I must admit I am at a loss as to why you are offering me your services to me instead of taking the opportunity to kill me. I'm sure the Earth Kingdom would have offered you a hefty amount to assassinate Fire Nation royalty?"

 _Hmm…well aren't you a smart one princess. Clever but oh-so-proud…If you're not careful, it will end up being the death of you._

Yilan's sneered in his head though on the outside he gave her a small chuckle.

"Perhaps they would. But I've seen the way you work, and I like your style. Also, there's the issue regarding the Avatar."

"Let me guess, you're asking me for a reward should you bring him and his little friends in for me." Azula rolled her eyes. Of course, there would be plenty of vagabonds eager to "help" her catch the Avatar and claim her glory.

However, she was surprised when Yilan chuckled again, his thin dark eyes becoming slits as they crinkled with wicked mirth.

"Not quite princess. Oh sure capturing the Avatar would be quite the feather to put in my cap, no doubt about it. But I'm after someone a little more…interesting…"

"Interesting? How?" Ty-Lee frowned as the Snake's sneering lips curled into an even nastier leer.

"Tell me something child…what do you know of the Yuetu clan?"

* * *

 _And there you have it Diary, our adventure in Omashu is finished, and Aang delivered little Tom-Tom safely home to his parents._

 _Everything should go back to normal right?_

 _WRONG!_

 _Seriously Diary I don't know why I can't catch a break. It's bad enough the Fire Nation army is after us; now Princess Azula is chasing us too?!_

 _Though I was raised to know the current Fire Nation Royal line, I don't really know much about the princess or anyone apart from Zuko and Lord Iroh, and that's only because I served them on the ship._

 _I can only guess those two are the decent black sheep of the family because according to them, Azula and her father can be exceptionally ruthless individuals._

 _To be frank, it doesn't really surprise me all that much. Any father that intentionally burns half his son's face off for merely talking out of turn can't be anything short of a monster. And his daughter can't be any better. I mean, she was willing to sacrifice one of her friend's baby brother for crying out loud!_

 _Zuko, for all his shortcomings, would never endanger a child. I mean yeah sure he did attack Katara and Sokka's village, but he didn't really do much damage. He was just trying to frighten them (though that in itself was pretty horrible)._

 _Oh Spirits, look at me! I've broken up with the guy, but I'm still trying to make up excuses for his behaviour!_

"Argh! Damn you, Princess." Jade growled as she paused in her diary entry, attracting the attention of Aang, who was behind her at Appa's reins while Sokka and Katara slept on the opposite end of the saddle.

"Jade?" the young Avatar glanced back worriedly.

"I'm fine" Jade grumbled, shutting her diary with a snap and shoving it into her rucksack.

"You're thinking about Zuko again aren't you?" Aang's young grey eyes softened with pity as he watched her sink in her spot.

"Yeah, because I'm always thinking about that idiot all the time," she muttered darkly, folding her arms to shield her from the cold.

She couldn't help it.

She was still so mad at Zuko for all the crap he had put her through, and yet she felt this dull ache in her chest grow as thoughts about him whirled about her head.

Was he alright? Were he and his uncle safe? And if so, did he think of her?

Jade sighed as she ran a hand through her short hair, trying hard not to remember the way the prince's rough hands would knead through her locks whenever he kissed her and held her tight.

So far in her journey, she'd managed to keep thoughts about him to a bare minimum. The thrill of travelling and visiting new places had been a good distraction.

Ever since she'd laid eyes on Azula, all thoughts of the prince had come flooding back, and now he was all she could think about.

 _That damned jerk!_

She shut her eyes as she leaned back on her satchel to gaze up at the star-filled midnight skies above their heads, a memory washing over her as she shut her eyes and drifted off.

* * *

 _They were standing on the stern of the ship. Just the two of them, the ship gently bobbing as it sat moored in the harbour._

 _All was silent. All was still until Jade found herself shivering as a gust of wind blew by her cheek._

 _"Brr!" she bristled rubbing her arms hard and fast._

 _"You should've worn your winter gear," Zuko grunted beside her, grinning smugly as she spared him her special stink eye she reserved only for him._

 _"How was I to know it would be cold tonight? I'm not a weather god."_

 _Zuko's rolled his eyes at her. Unlike her, he was wearing a thick crimson cloak over the top of his armour which he quickly pulled off his shoulders and draped around her own smaller ones._

 _"Zuko what-oh…"_

 _"Better?" he grunted as he turned to face the ocean again, smirking as he caught sight of her reddening cheeks._

 _"Yeah…thanks, but wait don't you need-"_

 _"I have another below deck, besides I can keep myself warm with firebending."_

 _"Maybe, but that still won't stop you from catching a chill-whoa!" she gulped as the boat suddenly rocked on a stray wave and a large cold gust of wind bowled straight into them._

 _Zuko was quick to steady himself as he clutched the stern's railing tight, but Jade had been too busy pulling his cloak around herself to grab onto something._

 _With a small squeak and a thud, she tripped over her legs as she blindly tried to reset her footing._

 _"Jade?!" Zuko knelt down beside her as she sat up gingerly._

 _"I'm okay" she mumbled, wincing as she rubbed the back of her head. It was a little sore, but thankfully the lump wasn't too big._

 _She flinched as another gust of icy cold wind suddenly swept over them both, the force of it so powerful that it blew the crimson cape out of her hands and up into the air._

 _"Quick!" she cried out as she tried to snatch at it "before it goes over…the-"_

 _But too late it had already floated up over the edge of the ship and into the churning waters below._

 _"-edge…" Jade trailed off as she and Zuko peered over the edge._

 _"Too late. It's gone" Zuko sighed, though she could tell he was pissed from the heated glint in his brown amber eyes._

 _"I'm sorry" Jade looked down into the waters, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment. Of all the times her clumsiness had to kick in._

 _She was distracted from her thoughts when she felt something substantial and warm press into her back and two strong arms circle around her, holding her tight._

 _She tried turning her head to look back, only for her lips to graze along the burnt scarred flesh that surrounded a thin amber eye which narrowed as its owner spoke_

 _"Hey, don't tell me you want to get cold?" Zuko scowled his own cheeks turning as crimson as his now missing cloak as she pressed a tender kiss to his scar, her fingers lacing with his as she pulled his arms tighter around her._

 _"Hmph! Minx" he grumbled, though the small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth gave him away as they shared a soft yet brief kiss._

 _"You know you love it, princess." Jade quirked a brow as she gave him one last peck before turning back to face the open ocean._

 _"Will you ever stop calling me that?" he groaned as she giggled in his arms._

 _"Nope"_

 _Despite his best efforts, the prince's small smirk softened into a smile as he rested his chin upon her shoulder and stared out at the view before them._

 _For the first time in a long time, Crown Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation felt absolutely content._

* * *

For the first time in a long time, Zuko, ex-crown prince of the Fire Nation, felt absolutely frustrated.

It was different from his frustrations of failing to capture the avatar (though that came at a close second). No this was a frustration born from constant gnawing hunger in his belly, the restless sleep that came from a tree root sticking into his back and worst of all, the empty feeling in his chest as he opened his eyes and stared at the spot beside him on the cave floor.

It was empty, as he knew it would be, seeing as his uncle slept on the other side of the dying campfire. And yet it still didn't feel right.

Of course, Zuko knew the exact problem, though it did nothing to ease his aggravation.

He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the roof of the cave. He could almost remember it as though it were yesterday, the scent of jasmine in her hair and the spices embedded in the skin of her palms as they cupped his cheeks.

 _Argh! Damn you lucky! DAMN YOU JADE! I hate you so much I-_

Then he sighed and deflated where he lay.

 _Oh, who am I kidding? I don't hate her at all._

Something rustled outside.

 _Probably just a bird or a Lop-eared-rabbit._

He scowled, yet he could feel in his gut that something was not quite right as the rustle came again, this time much closer.

"Hmm? Zuko what?" His uncle grumbled as he stirred, but Zuko silenced him quickly by putting a finger to his lips.

Slowly and quietly, he got to his haunches, creeping on all fours like a giant cat to peer over the rocks that protected the entrance to their temporary home.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the tree line. There just behind a bushel of the small clearing were two shadows in the trees. One was the silhouette of a large sturdy ostrich horse, which pawed the ground and huffed loudly as it caught sight of Zuko and Iroh's own mount, which was roosting by a stump close to the cave entrance.

The other figure was a man, tall with what appeared to be half a head of shaggy long dark hair, though Zuko could not make out much else.

 _A vagabond! Then they'll surely try to steal our supplies…what is left of them…_

Zuko's eyes flashed, only to stiffen in shock as the figure turned in his direction. Though he couldn't see them, the banished prince knew the figure had spotted him.

 _Too late to turn back now._

Zuko's palms itched as he reached out to grab his crudely handcrafted wooden fishing spear from beside his sleeping spot, ignoring his uncle's frightened hiss.

"Zuko, stop! What if he hurts you?"

But Zuko didn't stop to listen as leapt out from his hiding spot to brandish his spear in their potential attacker's face, only to find it swiped clean out of his hands.

It flew a few feet into the air, spinning until it hit the ground, the pointed end breaking off as it smashed against a stone.

"Junior!" Iroh called out, but Zuko had already summoned a ball of fire which he punched out to his attacker.

Even as the fireball flew through the air, the attacker raised his arms and fluidly caught it before spinning with its momentum and sling-shotting it back to Zuko.

 _Another firebender?!_

Zuko dodged, and the fireball hit the top of the cave, thankfully dispersing before any of its embers could touch the grass below.

Neither challenger bothered to notice this as they both lunged for one another.

"Wait-Zuko! Stop it's-" Iroh tried calling, but once again neither combatant seemed to hear him.

Zuko relished the feeling of his fist ramming into his opponent's jaw but did not have time to savour the victory as he felt a fist slam painfully into his gut before he was thrown down into the dirt.

He raised his hands, ready to defend his face as a fire suddenly flared to life in his opponent's fist as it lunged forwards…only to stop dead in its tracks just a few inches from his face.

He felt his forehead sweat, though from the heat of the fire in his face or the innate terror of the impending doom he could not tell.

The only thing he did register, was the sound of a voice, a deep masculine yet young very familiar voice as it said:

"Prince Zuko?"

Zuko blinked as the flame was brought away from his face, its core so bright it illuminated the figure that loomed up in the night sky above.

He was tall, strong and lean, and wearing brown tunic and pants. His skin was pale, yet the entire right side of his torso, (shoulder, head and neck included) was covered in a tapestry of deep burns. He wore a black eyepatch over his right eye, while the other bright amber one was sharp as it glared down at him through the shaggy mane of dark brown hair.

He knew that face. How many times had he seen it on board his ship as well as beside his ex-girlfriend nearly every day?

Never in his wildest dreams would he have dared think he would see it out here while on the run, nor in such a state as this, and yet here it was staring down at him.

"Shen?"

* * *

 **TADAAA! and there we are, finally another update and just before the new year hits.**

 **Sorry for the long wait everyone, I just started a great new job and have been super busy in the lead up to Christmas. But thankfully I finally got this chapter out. Hopefully, it won't be long till the next one but I can't make any promises.**

 **Anyways, thanks for all the support and all the likes and follows. If you enjoyed the chapter feel free to review for what you would like to see in future chapters.**

 **Till next time everyone,**

 **Cheers**

 **FuzzyBeta**


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